By Rachel Lynette
Here is a fun game for practicing symmetry. The game can be played in pairs or as a whole class, and it’s based on the game Battleship. Each player uses a grid to create a symmetrical pattern. An 8×8 grid works well. You can have students make their own grids using graph paper or you can download the game here for free. Tips for
How can we avoid that useless dialogue? Many teachers keep parents updated on what is going on at school with weekly newsletters, emails, or website postings, and that is great! But you could take it one step further by suggesting questions that parents can ask their kids about what they are learning in school. You can make those questions simple recall, but you could also
The story below is about a third grader presenting her independent project to the class: “Ummmm, I don’t really know why that picture is there. My mom put it in.” * And looking at the project, it was pretty clear that mom had done most, if not all, of it. How exactly am I, as the teacher, supposed to grade that? Before I had kids
You have a routine for everything – what your students should do when they get to class, how they should line up when the bell rings, how to distribute and collect papers, and so on and so on. And, as a result your classroom runs smoothly, everyone knows what to do, and Harry Wong is proud of you.Great. Maybe…or maybe not. Yes, routines have their place,
How many unique pentominoes can you generate with five squares? Exploring that question is a great way to introduce a unit on pentominoes. Using pentominoes improves spatial skills. Generating them is also a great way to practice flexible thinking. To do this activity you will need: Five identical squares for each child (could be plastic or cut from tagboard) Graph paper Pencil Five teacher squares
Your child (or student) comes to you with a picture she has just drawn. You look at it and say something like, “Wow, that’s beautiful.” Then, you put it on the fridge. And that is pretty much it. While there is nothing wrong with this scenario, if you want your child to think critically and creatively about her art, you could use this opportunity to
Our family loves to play games with interesting strategies. When my kids were younger, I was always looking for games that we could all enjoy together – even the adults (because, honestly, how much fun is Battleship?). Here are three of our favorites. They came into our lives when my kids were in elementary school, and we are still playing them today! All would make
The Soma Cube was invented by Peit Hein in 1936. It is a 3-D puzzle made from seven irregular shapes, each made from three or four cubes. The cube itself is just one of many shapes that the seven pieces can be used to make. You can find these shapes, along with more information about the Soma Cube, on Thorleif’s SOMA page. Working with the
Fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration can be thought of as the cornerstones of creative thinking. Flexibility is a bit like fluency in that we are working with ideas, but while fluency is about generating as many ideas as possible, flexibility is about generating ideas that are different from each other. Thinking flexibly is a valuable skill because it allows you to get out of a
We want our kids to be creative, and yet, often without thinking about it, we do the very things that destroy it. Encouraging creativity requires tolerance, patience, openness, and acceptance. Busy teachers and overwhelmed parents are often short on these qualities. However, sometimes all it takes is a little reminder. So, if you catch yourself doing any of these things, then ask yourself if there
Fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration can be thought of as the cornerstones of creative thinking. Fluency is all about generating a lot of different ideas. It is a valuable skill to practice because when you have many different ideas, you have more options and are therefore more likely to find more viable solutions to your problem. In addition, often one idea leads to another, so
You have an overflowing curriculum and not nearly enough time to get to it all. But you also know the value of Creative and Critical Thinking. Here are some fun ways to sneak more of them into your day without sacrificing much-needed time. Start with a Question Put a “Would You Rather…” or poll-type opinion question on a corner of the white board each morning with a
A journal doesn’t have to be recorded in a book or on a computer. Here is a great journal project for collectors, pack rats, and reluctant journalists. Here is what you will need: A box of ziplock sandwich baggies A pack of 3×5 index cards (colors are nice) A pen or pencil A Sharpie or other permanent marker A shoe box Here is what you
The unexamined life is not worth living. -Socrates Journaling is a great way to explore thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and feelings. Consistent journalists will improve their writing skills, as well. A journal can be valuable simply as a record of what has occurred in a day, but it can be much more than that. Here are some ideas for when you get stuck. These ideas are aimed
keyboard : computer : : pen : ____________ Thanksgiving Analogies Analogies like the ones above require you to analyze a pair of pictures or words to find a connection (or sometimes more than one connection) and apply that connection to a new pair. Doing analogies is a good idea because: Analogies are a great way to improve analytical thinking, verbal comprehension, and
