Holiday Worksheets
Writing prompts, non-fiction analysis, and science topics related to Christmas and Hanukkah.
Notice, Wonder: Burton Island
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Power – Blue Whale vs Krill
Sure, a Blue Whale is huge. But does a tiny krill have more power?
Founding The Colonies
13 colonies activities including a word search and task cards packed with facts. Plus, students will create their own colony with a name, story, and map!
Hero or Not A Hero?
Students will determine what makes a hero a hero.
Two Animals Switch Biomes
What if a capybara and a kangaroo rat switched homes? Would their adaptations be helpful at all?
Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths
Strength and weakness are often two sides of the same coin. Students will explore how a character’s flaw can be a benefit.
Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors
Which inventor and invention will win the tournament?
Not Like The Others: Rivers
Four rivers. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Cephalopods
Four cephalopods. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Flowers
Four flowers. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group B
Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group A
Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Compare and Create New Year’s Traditions
Hey! Our New Year traditions have a lot in common.
New Uses For A Pencil
So, what can a pencil be used for other than writing and drawing?
Create A Civ: Capital City
Every great capital is part geography, part human design. Research real ones, then build your own from scratch.
Not Like The Others: African Nations
Four African nations. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: US National Parks
Four US national parks. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Notice, Wonder: A House
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases
Four diseases. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert
Four desert birds. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Penguins
Four penguins. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe
Four of the tiniest countries in Europe. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Microorganisms
Four microorganisms. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Drawing An Impossible Triangle
Here’s how you can draw The Penrose Triangle, an example of an impossible shape.
Microchess (Chess Variant)
What if we played chess on a board that’s only 4×5?
Horde Chess Variant
What if one player had, say, 32 pawns?
Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!
Four ants from around the world. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
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
Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?
Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament
Which object in the solar system is most habitable?
Not Like The Others: Types of Volcanoes
Which of these types of volcanoes is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic — and one that doesn’t fit. But which one? Depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest
Four rainforest snakes. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Deserts
Which of these deserts is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Rainforests
Which of these rainforests is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Stars
How is each of these stars not like the others?
Not Like The Others: US States
How is each of these states not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Mountains
Which of these mountains is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Tropical Rainforest
Which of these four birds is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government
How is each part of the United States Government not like the other parts?
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
What makes for a good flag? What makes a bad flag?
Self Portraits: Pointillism
Turn your students into a bunch of Monets with q-tips and some tempera paint.
Writing Sample: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Shrinking)
A passage from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Not Like The Others: Countries
How is each of these four countries not like the others?
Notice Wonder: Blood Falls
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Impostor Syndrome
How high-performing students can often feel like they aren’t really that great.
Not Like The Others: Creatures of the Tundra
Four tundra creatures. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: US Presidents
Four US presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Planets
Which of these planets is not like others? Well, it sure looks simple at first. But each option could be the one that doesn’t fit in.
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!
Notice, Wonder: A River
A mysterious image. Reveal it slowly. Let your students wonder!
Upgrade Research Questions With Depth and Complexity
Ever ask students to create research questions? Were their ideas a bit… blah? My own students had a very hard time writing questions they didn’t already know the answer to! This video is how I solved that problem: upgrade research questions with depth and complexity.
Game: Notakto
What if you only played Tic-Tac-Toe with Xs and you could play on multiple boards?
Dots and Boxes
Who can make the most boxes from dots in this strategy game?
The Resiliency Tournament
Your students will set up a tournament to determine which person or character best demonstrated resiliency.
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
The Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Seine, the Thames, and now… your river!
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step Three
How do you turn “go research something” into a structured, creative learning exploration? Kathryn Haydon walks through it step by step.
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step Two
How do you turn “go research something” into a structured, creative learning exploration? Kathryn Haydon walks through it step by step.
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step One
How do you turn “go research something” into a structured, creative learning exploration? Kathryn Haydon walks through it step by step.
Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator
Your students will create a new flower, designed to attract a specific pollinator.
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.
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
An App For A Historical Figure
What kind of an app could have helped Abe Lincoln accomplish his goals?
Building Brush Bots and Art Bots
What if we turned a tooth brush into a robot… that could do art?
Creating A Classroom Motto
Starting with specific examples of fantastic classroom behavior, your class will end up with one sentence summing up their expectations. It’s a classroom motto!
Teaching Empathy With Faberge Eggs
The story of the Fabergé Eggs is heartbreaking. It’s also the perfect way to build empathy in your classroom.
Engineering: Build A Bridge
Using real bridges as their starting point, students will construct bridges out of straws and paperclips.