TeachersFirst Persisting (Habit of the Mind) Resources
Welcome, educators! This collection of resources is designed to help you and your students cultivate the Habit of Mind of Perseverance—the ability to stick with a task through to completion, stay focused when challenges arise, and find creative ways to reach your goals without giving up. Whether your students are working through a challenging math problem, revising an essay to enhance its quality, or practicing a new skill until they master it, perseverance is the key to transforming effort into achievement. This collection includes engaging videos that showcase real-world examples of persistence, inspiring articles (and blogs), interactive activities and games that build resilience through practice, printable goal-setting templates and progress trackers, classroom-ready lesson plans for teaching students how to handle challenging problems, and reflection tools to help students recognize and celebrate their growth. You'll also find visual reminders, such as posters and digital resources, to reinforce this habit throughout your classroom. By deliberately incorporating these resources into your daily routines and helping students notice opportunities to persevere, you'll be equipping them with one of the most powerful tools for lifelong success.
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SMART Goals Worksheet - Lake Superior State University
Grades
4 to 12
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The SMART Goals Worksheet from Lake Superior State University is an easy-to-use tool that helps students set clear and realistic goals. It guides them to make goals that are Specific,...more
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The SMART Goals Worksheet from Lake Superior State University is an easy-to-use tool that helps students set clear and realistic goals. It guides them to make goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The worksheet asks simple questions, such as the goal, progress measurement criteria, and the goal date to complete the project. It also includes a section for creating an action plan that lists steps to take, potential challenges, and helpful resources. This worksheet is useful for teaching students how to plan, stay focused, and work toward their goals in an organized way.
tag(s): thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students brainstorm personal, academic, or classroom goals (for example, reading more, improving writing, or being kinder on the playground). Then guide them through completing the SMART Goals Worksheet together to turn a simple idea into a clear, structured goal. Have students pair up to share their SMART goals and action plans. Partners can give friendly feedback by checking if the goals are specific, measurable, and realistic. Create a "Goal Wall" where students post their goals (or just the focus area, like "Reading" or "Organization"). Update the wall as students reach milestones to celebrate effort and growth.
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Habits of Mind Explorer - Habits of Mind Insitute
Grades
K to 12
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Explore a collection of free resources designed to help students of all ages develop 16 essential thinking dispositions, such as persisting, managing impulsivity, and thinking flexibly....more
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Explore a collection of free resources designed to help students of all ages develop 16 essential thinking dispositions, such as persisting, managing impulsivity, and thinking flexibly. This site offers clear definitions and practical strategies for each habit, making it easy to weave social-emotional learning into any subject area. You can access a variety of free materials, including classroom posters, blog posts tailored for adolescents, and crowd-sourced assessment tools like rubrics and self-assessment checklists for grades PreK-12. The platform also features learning paths and instructional animations that introduce the habits through relatable scenarios.
tag(s): critical thinking (163), preK (298), problem solving (262), social and emotional learning (144), thinking routines (29), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Include this resource as part of a project-based learning unit by having students choose one habit to focus on as they work through a complex challenge. For a social studies project exploring historical figures, students can analyze which habits, like Taking Responsible Risks or Striving for Accuracy, were most critical to their subject's success. After conducting research, students can organize their insights and provide examples of these habits in action by creating a collaborative digital board with Lino, reviewed here. To take the reflection deeper, ask students to map out their own growth in that specific habit by creating a visual journey or mind map using MindMup, reviewed here shifting focus from just learning facts to understanding the mental behaviors that drive achievement, helping students become more self-aware and intentional learners.
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Goal Setting - Easy Teacher Worksheets
Grades
3 to 8
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The Goal Setting section on EasyTeacherWorksheets.com offers a collection of free, printable worksheets and organizers that guide students through setting and planning achievable goals...more
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The Goal Setting section on EasyTeacherWorksheets.com offers a collection of free, printable worksheets and organizers that guide students through setting and planning achievable goals using the SMART goal framework. The resources include goal reflections, checklists, academic and personal goal planners, and progress-tracking sheets that help students break goals into manageable steps and reflect on their efforts. In addition to supporting academic and social-emotional learning, these activities naturally connect to Habits of Mind such as persisting, managing impulsivity, and thinking about thinking, as students plan thoughtfully, monitor progress, and adjust strategies over time.
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tag(s): behavior (45), classroom management (124), social and emotional learning (144), thinking routines (29), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students use completed goal sheets during conferences to explain growth, challenges, and next steps. This will help to build accountability and show progress. Use the goal planner before large projects (book reports, Reading Trek maps, research papers, robotics builds). Students can break the assignment into mini-deadlines and checkpoints to strengthen executive functioning skills. After quizzes or benchmark tests, students can analyze their results and set targeted improvement goals to gain ownership of their learning.
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Habits of Mind: Persistance - New Trader U
Grades
4 to 8
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View this article that explores persistence, a key intellectual behavior, as a driver of success, resilience, and effective problem-solving. The article explains how persistence serves...more
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View this article that explores persistence, a key intellectual behavior, as a driver of success, resilience, and effective problem-solving. The article explains how persistence serves as the bridge between desire and achievement, connecting it to the broader Habits of Mind framework and showing how it enhances thinking, creativity, flexibility, and self-reflection. The article also offers strategies for developing persistence, such as setting clear goals, practicing patience and resilience, self-reflection, visualization, and seeking supportive environments. It discusses overcoming challenges, the impact of persistence across different fields, and how to integrate persistence into daily life and teaching, emphasizing balanced effort and growth.
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tag(s): professional development (295), thinking skills (84), visualizations (15)
In the Classroom
Have students set a short-term academic or personal goal and create a simple action plan that includes potential obstacles and strategies to stay persistent. Students can keep a weekly reflection journal in which they write about the challenges they faced and how they used persistence to overcome them. Create journals digitally using Book Creator, reviewed here. Students can design posters with persistence quotes, strategies, and visuals to encourage a classroom culture of effort and resilience. Use a digital option such as DesignCap Poster Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Habits of Minds: Persistence--Activities for the Cold Winter - Lori Rice
Grades
K to 8
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The Educator's Room article "Habits of Minds: Persistence Activities for the Cold Winter" offers practical classroom activities to teach and reinforce the Habit of Mind of persistence....more
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The Educator's Room article "Habits of Minds: Persistence Activities for the Cold Winter" offers practical classroom activities to teach and reinforce the Habit of Mind of persistence. Written by a fourth-grade teacher, the piece explains how persistence helps students continue with purpose even when tasks are challenging, especially during the mid-year doldrums. The author shares a variety of engaging activities, including defining and illustrating key terms (persistence, excellence, indifference), comparing concepts using charts and Venn diagrams, analyzing characters from books, and completing reflective writing. These can be used in whole-group or small-group settings to help students build this important habit of mind. The article also connects educators with additional Habits of Mind resources and encourages a mindset of steady effort and resilience.
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tag(s): social and emotional learning (144), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Students can define and illustrate key terms such as persistence, excellence, and indifference. They can create visual posters or digital slides using Genially, reviewed here showing what each word looks like in action. Students can compare persistence and indifference using a Venn diagram created with Interactive Venn Diagrams by Class Tools, reviewed here. They can include examples from school, sports, or real life to show how each mindset affects outcomes. Have students analyze a character from a class novel or read-aloud who shows persistence. They can cite evidence from the text and explain how the character kept going throughAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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16 Habits of the Mind: Persisting - WonderGrove Kids
Grades
3 to 8
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The video, 16 Habits of Mind: Persisting, explains the Habit of Mind known as persisting, which is about continuing to work toward a goal and not giving up even when ...more
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The video, 16 Habits of Mind: Persisting, explains the Habit of Mind known as persisting, which is about continuing to work toward a goal and not giving up even when tasks are challenging. It emphasizes that successful learners stick with difficulties, try different strategies, and stay focused on finding solutions rather than quitting. This video is an excellent resource for helping students see the value of resilience, effort, and determination in their learning, especially when they face frustration or complex problems. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): social and emotional learning (144), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Give students a challenging task or puzzle. When they get stuck, encourage them to try at least two different strategies before asking for help. Students can choose one academic or personal goal and write steps they will take to keep trying, even when it gets hard. As a class, create an anchor chart showing what persisting looks like, sounds like, and feels like in the classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mindset Journal - Youcubed
Grades
K to 12
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The Mindset Journal page on YouCubed offers a free, downloadable five-page journal designed to help students reflect on and develop a growth mindset, especially in learning and perseverance....more
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The Mindset Journal page on YouCubed offers a free, downloadable five-page journal designed to help students reflect on and develop a growth mindset, especially in learning and perseverance. It is part of YouCubed's broader suite of research-based resources that support growth-focused teaching and learning, grounded in the belief that all students can grow their abilities through effort and reflection. This tool can encourage students to reflect on challenges, persistence, and their own potential as learners, reinforcing key growth-mindset principles in a structured, student-centered format.
tag(s): journals (19), student-centered (8), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students complete a short journal entry at the end of the day reflecting on a challenge they faced and how they worked through it. This form of journaling builds self-awareness and reinforces the idea that effort leads to growth. Have students write one skill they are still working on using a "I can't do this yet" statement from the journal. Post journal responses on a class bulletin board to celebrate perseverance and normalize learning struggles. At the start of a new unit, have students set a personal learning goal in their journal. Midway through the unit, they revisit their entry to reflect on progress, strategies, and mindset shifts.
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Habits of the Mind: Persistance - Mineola Creative Content
Grades
3 to 8
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Habits of Mind: Persistence is a short educational YouTube video that introduces students to the thinking skill of persistence, one of the 16 Habits of Mind that support effective problem...more
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Habits of Mind: Persistence is a short educational YouTube video that introduces students to the thinking skill of persistence, one of the 16 Habits of Mind that support effective problem solving and learning. The video explains what persistence looks like in real-world and classroom settings, emphasizing the importance of sticking with challenges, managing frustration, and continuing to work toward goals. It provides clear, relatable examples that help students understand how perseverance can lead to success, making it a valuable resource for classroom discussions about the growth mindset and resilient learning. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): social and emotional learning (144), thinking routines (29), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students read short challenge scenarios and discuss or role-play how persistence can help solve the problem. Have students identify characters from books or stories who show persistence. They can cite textual evidence and explain how perseverance helped the character succeed. Have a class complete a complex puzzle, STEM task, or writing challenge, and reflect on how persistence helped them overcome obstacles.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching With Habits of the Mind - The Institute for the Arts Integration and STEAM
Grades
K to 12
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Created by The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, this webpage introduces teachers to the Habits of Mind, a set of purposeful thinking behaviors that help students become more...more
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Created by The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, this webpage introduces teachers to the Habits of Mind, a set of purposeful thinking behaviors that help students become more resilient and thoughtful learners. This page explains how these habits apply across grade levels and content areas and encourages teachers to weave them into everyday routines so students can practice them regularly. It also provides practical tools, such as mini-lessons, discussion prompts, and printable habit cards, to facilitate easy classroom integration.
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tag(s): professional development (295), social and emotional learning (144), teaching strategies (67), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Have students create a habit of mind character sketch with Google Drawings, reviewed here. They can choose a character from a book and identify which habits the character uses or lacks. They can write a short explanation and illustrate the character demonstrating the habit in a key scene. Assign students to design a toolkit for a habit of mind. In small groups using Canva for Education, reviewed here, they create posters, bookmark reminders, or short scripts for morning announcements that teach their classmates how to use a specific habit. These tools are shared with the grade level or displayed in the classroom as ongoing reminders. Choose one habit of mind, such as persisting, and give students a quick challenge, such as building a tower from index cards and tape. Pause halfway through and ask students to reflect on how they are using the habit in real time, this helps them experience the habit through action.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Habits of Mind - Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick
Grades
5 to 12
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The Habits of Mind: A Curriculum for Community High School of Vermont Students is a structured program designed to help learners develop essential thinking and problem-solving skills....more
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The Habits of Mind: A Curriculum for Community High School of Vermont Students is a structured program designed to help learners develop essential thinking and problem-solving skills. The curriculum includes lessons and activities focused on persistence, flexible thinking, managing impulsivity, and reflective learning. Each module provides clear objectives, guided discussions, and reflection prompts that encourage students to apply these habits in academic and real-life situations. Although designed for older students, users can adapt the content for upper-elementary and middle-school classrooms to build a strong foundation for social-emotional growth and metacognitive awareness.
tag(s): critical thinking (163), problem solving (262), thinking routines (29), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
Introduce one habit, such as Thinking Flexibly, and give students a quick scenario in which they choose among different ways to solve a problem. Have them vote and explain their choices. Give students cards with prompts like "A time I persisted today..." or "A moment I listened with understanding..." to build awareness of habits in real time. Set up stations tied to different habits, such as puzzles for persisting partner tasks for listening with understanding or creative challenges for thinking flexibly. Have students rotate and practice each habit as part of your ongoing classroom routines.
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SEL Lesson Planner - Yourway Learning
Grades
K to 12
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This AI-powered tool generates social-emotional learning (SEL) plans for any topic and grade level. Begin by adding the grade level, then select the SEL competency to address from the...more
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This AI-powered tool generates social-emotional learning (SEL) plans for any topic and grade level. Begin by adding the grade level, then select the SEL competency to address from the five options: self-awareness, self-management, and others. In the final box, add the topic, standard, or objective to address and include additional details to consider when generating your lesson. After the lesson is generated, use the available options to request changes and modify the lesson to fit your needs. Download or save your lesson plan document using the options available at the Manage Content dropdown box.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (254), social and emotional learning (144), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Save this lesson generator for many different classroom uses. Create lessons to build social-emotional learning skills that address the needs of your students or incorporate SEL thinking processes into lessons that require students to understand different perspectives, such as the civil rights movement or the environmental impacts of pollution. Take time to develop the prompt for the final box to include specific information for the type of lesson to create, teaching frameworks to include, technology to incorporate, and consideration of thinking routines. For example, use a prompt such as "the civil rights movement of the 1960s, include five station rotation activities; one should be technology-based" to generate a SEL lesson. Consider adding Thinking Routines, reviewed here that encourages students to use perspective to consider others' thoughts, experiences, and feelings.Edge Features:
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be shared by URL
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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OK2Ask: Tech Tools Smackdown: Critical Thinking Games in the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from February 2025. Educators seeking recertification credit must watch the recording, complete the feedback survey,...more
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Register to view this on-demand OK2Ask professional learning workshop from February 2025. Educators seeking recertification credit must watch the recording, complete the feedback survey, and pass the assessment. For details, read the Registration & Credit Options section on the registration page.
Level up your teaching with engaging digital games and puzzles that ignite critical thinking! In this workshop, we'll explore viral sensations like NYT's Wordle and Connections and hidden gems like TED's The Purring Test. Experience these tools firsthand and discover how to strategically integrate them into your lessons for maximum impact. You'll leave with a curated toolkit of engaging resources that transform problem-solving challenges into powerful learning opportunities. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore powerful digital games and tools that boost critical thinking skills. 2. Evaluate digital tools and match them with specific learning goals. 3. Design lesson plans that integrate these tools effectively. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Level up your teaching with engaging digital games and puzzles that ignite critical thinking! In this workshop, we'll explore viral sensations like NYT's Wordle and Connections and hidden gems like TED's The Purring Test. Experience these tools firsthand and discover how to strategically integrate them into your lessons for maximum impact. You'll leave with a curated toolkit of engaging resources that transform problem-solving challenges into powerful learning opportunities. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Explore powerful digital games and tools that boost critical thinking skills. 2. Evaluate digital tools and match them with specific learning goals. 3. Design lesson plans that integrate these tools effectively. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): critical thinking (163), game based learning (284), OK2Askarchive (83), professional development (295)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Once registered, find additional reference materials, tutorials, and how-to information to help you review or extend your knowledge from the session in the handout posted on the session landing page. Resources may include additional ideas and examples on integrating the tools and strategies shared in classroom instruction. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Reflect - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12
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Reflect is a well-being app that uses check-ins to support connections in learning communities and promote a culture of self-awareness and empathy. Reflect is built into Teams education...more
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Reflect is a well-being app that uses check-ins to support connections in learning communities and promote a culture of self-awareness and empathy. Reflect is built into Teams education accounts and requires signing in with a valid school account to use within Google Classroom, Canvas, and other Learning Management Systems. Some available activities include brain breaks, guided meditation, and 2-minute stretching routines.
tag(s): classroom management (124), communication (119), social and emotional learning (144), Teacher Utilities (199)
In the Classroom
Use Reflect as part of your classroom social and emotional support activities. For elementary classrooms, include daily check-ins, provide learning opportunities to encourage the use of emotional vocabulary, and incorporate reflections as part of discussions of characters and their emotions when reading stories and books. In middle school, include Reflect as part of weekly check-ins for emotional support, facilitate group discussions based upon feedback from check-ins, or use Reflect's tools to encourage students to set personal and academic goals. Use Reflect with high school students to promote mental health awareness and provide tools for stress management.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MirrorTalk - Swivl
Grades
K to 12
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MirrorTalk uses AI to create meaningful opportunities for cognitive and emotional reflection in any classroom while also serving as an assessment tool to support continued student growth....more
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MirrorTalk uses AI to create meaningful opportunities for cognitive and emotional reflection in any classroom while also serving as an assessment tool to support continued student growth. After creating a free account, educators can set up a group by selecting a name and grade level, then choose how students will access the reflection activity. Access options include login groups (student email required), session groups (name only, no email), or open groups (no name/email, but video is required). Responses can be submitted via video or audio and are available in English or Spanish. Teachers create reflections by defining objectives and selecting focus areas such as depth of knowledge, mindset, or problem-solving. The AI generates thoughtful, personalized prompts that guide students through the reflection process. Prompts are shared through assignment links, and as students respond, the teacher dashboard updates with visual charts and AI-generated insights that help monitor student progress and provide targeted suggestions for support.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (254), assessment (135), DAT device agnostic tool (125), Formative Assessment (45), preK (298), social and emotional learning (144), Teacher Utilities (199), teaching strategies (67), thinking skills (84)
In the Classroom
MirrorTalk can be used in many ways to support student learning and reflection. Begin the school year with a prompt that encourages students to reflect on the previous school year and set goals for the new year. Create prompts as exit tickets for students to reflect on the day's lesson and as a formative assessment for you to modify upcoming lessons as needed. Use this tool as part of a retrieval practice strategy to encourage students to recall facts about new concepts learned in class. Learn more about retrieval practice by visiting this blog post, Using Retrieval Practice to Boost Student Learning, found here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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K20 Game-Based Learning - University of Oklahoma K20 Center
Grades
6 to 12
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K20 Games offers over a dozen games encouraging critical thinking skills through game-based learning. Games place students in the role of decision-makers in real-world situations. Examples...more
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K20 Games offers over a dozen games encouraging critical thinking skills through game-based learning. Games place students in the role of decision-makers in real-world situations. Examples of games include Aware, which puts the student as an emergency manager in a region plagued with emergency disasters, and Paper Trail. This game asks students to consider how to behave in a morally corrupt business community. To access the games as an educator, select the Request Games link and complete the required information to receive an invitation code. Receipt of the code typically takes 24-48 hours. After receiving the code, follow the directions in your email response to create an account. Create a class, then select games to assign to your students. Each selected game includes teaching materials and a sample lesson plan. Share the provided invitation key with students to access and play games.
tag(s): bias (30), business (50), careers (196), data (199), evolution (88), financial literacy (93), functions (59), game based learning (284), media literacy (112), organizational skills (84), psychology (61), statistics (128), weather (169)
In the Classroom
Learn more about how to use the K20 game portal by viewing instructional videos provided on the K20 playlist found here. Include financial literacy games in your classroom to engage students in discussing finances, statistics, and decision-making using real-life scenarios. Ask students to compare and contrast their decisions as they play the games, share discussions on Gravity, reviewed here, and encourage students to provide feedback to peers on the consequences and benefits of their game decisions. Ask your tech-savvy students to create tutorials for each game using a screen recording tool such as Free Online Screen Recorder, reviewed here, then share the recordings on your class website for students to use at home and school.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance - ithrive games
Grades
9 to 12
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iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance is a digital role-playing simulation game. The situation helps students in high school social studies, history, and humanities classes to strengthen civic...more
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iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance is a digital role-playing simulation game. The situation helps students in high school social studies, history, and humanities classes to strengthen civic and social-emotional learning (SEL). The digital simulations are designed to support student-driven learning, and the student's actions determine the storyline. Students will play as government officials who must work collaboratively to analyze the data they receive to make decisions. Registration with a school email address is required to play. This game was designed to function within school firewalls. Please contact your school's IT department if you have trouble accessing it. iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance event is centered around topics that may be sensitive for some students. Consider offering alternatives or providing extra support if needed.
tag(s): civics (127), game based learning (284), simulations (45), social and emotional learning (144)
In the Classroom
Engage your high school students with iThrive Sim: Lives in Balance. The game-based simulation includes teacher preparation, pre-simulation, and optional post-simulation activities. The full simulation takes about 35 minutes to play. Therefore, teachers should plan for the entire simulation and activities to take at least three 45-minute class periods. A complete implementation guide is included. Civics topics include the 10th Amendment and Federalism, and SEL skills include decision-making, compromise, and advocacy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stickies.io - Carbon Five
Grades
K to 12
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Stickies is a collaborative whiteboard for teams that use stickies to share and organize group ideas. In addition to posting sticky notes, Stickies intuitively assigns colors to messages...more
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Stickies is a collaborative whiteboard for teams that use stickies to share and organize group ideas. In addition to posting sticky notes, Stickies intuitively assigns colors to messages based on the participant's text. For example, "I like" notes turn green, "I wish" is orange, and "We will" becomes blue. After creating an account, double-click on the board to start a new Stickies, then click to add a sticky note. Next, use the plus sign on the dashboard to email and add collaborators. As stickies are added, drag and drop items on the board to organize as desired. You can also make groups by piling the Stickies on top of each other, and you can vote for your favorite ideas. Incognito mode adds a helpful feature when working with collaborators, turn on incognito and set a timer to allow participants a set amount of time to think privately before sharing their sticky.
tag(s): collaboration (105), iwb (28), organizational skills (84), Teacher Utilities (199), Whiteboard (10)
In the Classroom
Save Stickies with your other bookmarks as a handy tool for student collaboration and organizing information throughout the year. For example, engage students in book discussions by creating a Stickies board and asking students to add stickies with details about characters, plot, and setting. Follow up by asking students to color code and organize labels based on the information. In this instance, character information might be yellow, plot blue, etc. Stickies is also an excellent tool to include with social-emotional learning activities. For example, encourage students to share sentences that begin with the "I like," "I wish," and "We will" formats as a tool for goal-setting.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Overcoming Obstacles K-12 Curriculum - Community for Education Foundation, Inc.
Grades
K to 12
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Overcoming Obstacles free curriculum shares hundreds of lessons based upon a foundation of thirty life skills. Skills include effective communication, making informed decisions, setting...more
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Overcoming Obstacles free curriculum shares hundreds of lessons based upon a foundation of thirty life skills. Skills include effective communication, making informed decisions, setting goals, respecting one another, and more. Find content organized into four grade bands, beginning with kindergarten through second grade and finishing with high school. Each printable lesson starts with a plan that includes goals, objectives, and a materials list. In addition to specific lesson instructions, each activity includes additional extensions to practice and reinforce skills taught. All information is available without registration; however, registering on the site allows you to customize lessons before downloading and saving. In addition, student activity sheets are available for download in 25 languages.
tag(s): communication (119), conflict resolution (10), OER (42), problem solving (262), social and emotional learning (144)
In the Classroom
Use the Overcoming Obstacles curriculum as a stand-alone life-skills curriculum or as a supplement to your current social-emotional learning (SEL) teaching materials. If you cannot take advantage of the complete curriculum, use the site's library to find lessons and activities on specific topics to address in your classroom as needed. For example, if peer pressure is a concern, select that activity to include in classroom lessons. Many of the activities include role-playing, extend these activities by creating student-led podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Create podcasts with different scenarios for students to role-play appropriate and inappropriate responses, including suggestions for making informed decisions.
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Harmony Social & Emotional Learning - Harmony SEL
Grades
K to 6
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Harmony SEL (Social Emotional Learning) provides a social-emotional curriculum for grades K-6 with in-person and remote learning support. Teaching units are offered within grade level...more
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Harmony SEL (Social Emotional Learning) provides a social-emotional curriculum for grades K-6 with in-person and remote learning support. Teaching units are offered within grade level bands or as free-standing units in the third and fourth grades. Five units within each grade level focus on diversity and peer relationships. All units include home-school connection activities and letters to share with parents. Lessons include student worksheets, game cards, and step-by-step teaching activities and extensions. In addition, this site consists of a learning academy known as Inspire that offers on-demand modules for educators that provide support for developing knowledge in SEL practices.
tag(s): charactered (77), social and emotional learning (144)
In the Classroom
Use this excellent, free curriculum and professional development academy to incorporate social-emotional learning into your classroom. If time doesn't allow for full implementation of the curriculum, use the ideas found on Harmony SEL to address specific needs within your classroom. For example, if you see a need to reinforce and practice empathy for others, use the lessons provided to promote understanding of others and encourage students to look through the perspective of others. As students participate in the learning activities, encourage them to use Edublogs, reviewed here, to share their learning activities and reflect upon how to use their social-emotional skills. Ask students to use a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, to create cartoons that share ideas and examples of positive character traits and how to respond in difficult situations.
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Vevox - Auga Technologies. Ltd
Grades
K to 12
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Get instantaneous feedback with the Vevox survey tool. The setup is simple once you create an account (there is a three minute video explanation). At the end of setting up, ...more
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Get instantaneous feedback with the Vevox survey tool. The setup is simple once you create an account (there is a three minute video explanation). At the end of setting up, you click "present," and your audience can start responding to your questions, close the pole when they're done, and all responses will appear on your screen and their devices. It's that quick! The free account will also integrate with Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint, and you can have instantaeous question and answer sessions.
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tag(s): assessment (135), Formative Assessment (45), Microsoft (55), polls and surveys (41), questioning (36), quiz (61), quizzes (86)
In the Classroom
What a cool way to have all students at the same place in your lesson! Additionally, they can ask questions, answer a poll, or watch a video, all in real time. Use Vevox for daily quiz questions as a formative assessment or to check for understanding of a previous lesson. Use as an anticipatory guide for introducing new content. Use to check for understanding after a lecture or demonstration. Older students may want to include polls on their student blogs to increase reader engagement. Have students create polls for after a project presentation. Use polls to generate data for math class (graphing), during elections, or for critical thinking activities dealing with the interpretation of statistics. Engage students using "real" data from a survey of issues and current events that matter to them. Use it to serve as a class voting device. Students can use their mobile devices to answer the survey.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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