Grade 6
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Strand 1
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Strand 2
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Strand 3
- 6.3
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Strand 4
- 6.4
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Strand 5
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Strand 6
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Strand 7
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Strand 8
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Strand 9
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Strand 10
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Strand 11
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Strand 12
TEKS ELA Standard: 6.12.A
generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry
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: 19th Century Presidents
Students will determine which US President from the 19th century is not like the others.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group B
Students will determine which of these US Presidents is not like the others.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group A
Students will determine which of these US Presidents is not like the others.
What’s In My Brain: Ball vs Book
Let’s look at Kinetic vs Potential Energy!
Create A Civ: Capital City
How are capital cities a combination of natural and human-designed features?
Not Like The Others: African Nations
Students will determine which country in Africa is not like the others.
Not Like The Others: US National Parks
Students will determine which US National Park is not like the others.
Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe
Students will determine which of these tiny countries is not like the others.
Microchess (Chess Variant)
What if we played chess on a board that’s only 4×5?
Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System
Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?
Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!
Students will determine which type of ant is not like the others.
The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament
Which of these eight wonders deserves to become the Eighth Wonder of the World!?
Precipitation Tournament
Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.
Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament
Which object in the solar system is most habitable?
Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks
Which of these rocks is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest
Students will determine which snake of the rainforest 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?
Looping Grid Art
Pick a few numbers, draw some corresponding lines on grid paper, and you’ll end up with some interesting, looping math-y art!
Ultimate (or Inception) Tic Tac Toe
What if each square on a Tic-Tac-Toe board had another Tic-Tac-Toe board inside of it?
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?
The Pros and Cons of Producers and Consumers
Sure, students might know the difference between a producer and a consumer… but have they considered how they feel about each other? What, in a producer’s opinion, are the pros and cons of a consumer?
Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters
Students will determine which type of natural disaster is not like the others.
Math Game: Heaps
Try this a simple (but surprisingly strategic) subtraction game!
Not Like The Others: Countries
How is each of these four countries not like the others?
Not Like The Others: US Presidents
Students will determine which founding US president is not like the others.
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!
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.
Student Introductions with Complexity and Frames
Students will introduce themselves by showing how they’ve changed over time.
Paradox: The Liar’s Paradox
Nothing like a paradox to get your kids brains exploding 🤯! This one starts with five simple words: “This statement is a lie.”
Dots and Boxes
Who can make the most boxes from dots in this strategy game?
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!
Developing Extension Questions: Zooming In
In this video, we’re continuing the camera metaphor and “zooming in” to explore the glossed-over details that are worth an entire unit of study onto themselves.
Developing Extension Questions: Panning
Much like a camera pans, we can pan to related topics in order to develop an interesting extension question for students.
Create A Civilization: From Hunter Gatherers to Farmers
What happens when your civilization suddenly has a surplus of food? Think of the possibilities!
Content Imperatives: Origin
Take students back to the beginning by using the Content Imperative ⏺️ Origin.
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step Three
In this video, Kathryn Haydon explains how she helped her students form activities to pursue their independent study.
Depth and Complexity: ❓ Unanswered Questions
This underutilized tool focuses students on what we don’t yet know and even what we can’t know.
Using Creativity Tools To Develop A Learning Exploration: Step Two
In this video, Kathryn Haydon explains how she helped her students develop questions for their independent study.
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!
Creating A Realistic Flower and Pollinator
Your students will create a new flower, designed to attract a specific pollinator.
Create A Creature
Create a new creature based on the adaptations of existing creatures from the same biome.
Disneyland Parking Tram Math Project
How many fully loaded tram trips will it take to transport a full parking structure to Disneyland?
Engineering: Build A Bridge
Using real bridges as their starting point, students will construct bridges out of straws and paperclips.