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What's Behind Game - Genially
Grades
2 to 8
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The Genially Hidden Picture Game template is an engaging, interactive tool designed to captivate students' curiosity by challenging them to uncover a concealed image through a series...more
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The Genially Hidden Picture Game template is an engaging, interactive tool designed to captivate students' curiosity by challenging them to uncover a concealed image through a series of questions. A portion of the hidden picture reveals itself as students answer questions correctly, providing immediate feedback and motivation to continue. This gamified approach not only reinforces subject matter comprehension but also adds an element of fun to the learning process. Fully customizable, the content can be tailored by educators to align with various subjects and grade levels, making it a versatile addition to any classroom setting. The template supports the integration of multimedia elements such as audio, video, and animations, enhancing the overall interactive experience. Additionally, it offers flexible sharing options, including online presentation, embedding, and downloading in formats like PDF and MP4.
tag(s): game based learning (244), gamification (90), multimedia (57)
In the Classroom
After reading a story or article, have students answer comprehension questions using the game. Each correct response uncovers part of an image related to the text's theme or setting. Have students create their own versions of the game as a final project. They write questions based on their research or learning, choose an image to hide, and then share their games with classmates for peer learning. Create a game using unit questions (e.g., life cycles, weather, or historical events). As students answer correctly, the picture underneath reveals something connected to the topic (like a habitat, invention, or landmark).You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Dragon's Dungeon Breakout - Genially
Grades
4 to 12
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The Genially Dragon's Dungeon Breakout template offers an immersive, fantasy-themed escape room experience designed to enhance student engagement and learning. In this interactive game,...more
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The Genially Dragon's Dungeon Breakout template offers an immersive, fantasy-themed escape room experience designed to enhance student engagement and learning. In this interactive game, students embark on a quest to collect four elemental gems--Earth, Air, Water, and Fire--by completing subject-specific challenges, such as quizzes and puzzles. Successfully gathering all gems empowers them to defeat a dragon, providing a compelling narrative that motivates participation. Fully customizable, the template enables educators to tailor content to various subjects and grade levels, integrating multimedia elements such as audio, video, and animations. Accessible online, making it a versatile tool for reinforcing concepts, promoting critical thinking, and fostering collaboration among students.
tag(s): collaboration (87), digital escapes (28), game based learning (244), Teacher Utilities (175)
In the Classroom
Play the game as a class on the smartboard, having teams take turns answering questions and making decisions. Use it as an exciting review day or end-of-unit celebration. Customize the escape room puzzles with questions from your current unit (math problems, vocabulary definitions, science facts, etc.). Students must correctly solve each one to earn a gem and move closer to defeating the dragon. As students progress through the dungeon, have them keep a digital journal using Book Creator, reviewed here or a paper journal reflecting on their team's strategies, what worked, and how they solved each puzzle.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Snakes and Ladders - Genially
Grades
4 to 12
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Turn a classic game into a dynamic learning experience with Genially's Snakes and Ladders template, where every roll of the dice brings students closer to mastering new concepts. This...more
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Turn a classic game into a dynamic learning experience with Genially's Snakes and Ladders template, where every roll of the dice brings students closer to mastering new concepts. This free, interactive template allows educators to customize the traditional board game with subject-specific questions, multimedia elements, and engaging animations. Ideal for reviewing content, assessing knowledge, or introducing new material, the game promotes active participation and reinforces learning through play. With its user-friendly interface, teachers can easily adapt the game for various subjects and grade levels, making it a versatile tool for both in-person and remote classrooms. Accessible online, the Snakes and Ladders template offers a fun and effective way to enhance student engagement and understanding.
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tag(s): collaboration (87), game based learning (244), gamification (90), Teacher Utilities (175)
In the Classroom
Divide the class into teams and play as a whole group. Each team answers a timed question; if the answer is correct, they roll and move their piece. A perfect activity for end-of-week content wrap-ups. Create historical or geographical questions tied to a unit. Each correct answer helps students move forward, reinforcing key facts while making the learning process enjoyable. Have students design their own board based on what they've learned in a unit. They can write questions, create a key for Snakes and Ladders, and then play each other's games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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6 Ways to Use Snapchat in the Classroom - Mud and Ink Teaching
Grades
6 to 12
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Looking for a way to meet students where they are? The Mud and Ink Teaching article, "6 Ways to Use Snapchat in the Classroom," offers creative and engaging ideas to ...more
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Looking for a way to meet students where they are? The Mud and Ink Teaching article, "6 Ways to Use Snapchat in the Classroom," offers creative and engaging ideas to bring this popular app into your lessons -- plus, there's a short video explaining each suggestion. From "BookSnaps," which lets students annotate texts visually, to Snapchat-style book talks and real-time learning documentation, the site shows how teachers can turn a social media favorite into a powerful educational tool. These strategies are especially effective for middle and high school classrooms seeking to integrate technology with literacy and reflection. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
tag(s): reading strategies (91), social media (57), teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
Have students take a photo of a quote or page from their independent reading book and use Snapchat (or a similar app) to annotate it with emojis, drawings, and commentary. After reading a short story or chapter, assign students to use a series of Snapchat-style images and captions to retell the key plot points, with a focus on narrative structure and tone. Have students choose a recurring theme or symbol from a text and create a series of annotated snaps that illustrate how it develops across the story, using quotes and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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7 Interesting Ways to Use Instagram in Classroom - eLearning Infographics
Grades
4 to 12
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The infographic "7 Interesting Ways To Use Instagram In Classroom" from eLearning Infographics presents creative strategies for integrating Instagram into educational settings to enhance...more
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The infographic "7 Interesting Ways To Use Instagram In Classroom" from eLearning Infographics presents creative strategies for integrating Instagram into educational settings to enhance student engagement and learning. It suggests creating a private school community account to share student work, allowing students to post subject-related photos (such as mathematical concepts or favorite literary characters), and using images as prompts for impromptu essays or stories. Additionally, it recommends recognizing student achievements by featuring their work monthly, tracking performance over time through shared activities, assigning projects that document scientific processes (like chemical reactions or plant growth), and organizing fun events where students portray comic characters and share related photos.
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tag(s): digital citizenship (94), digital storytelling (147), infographics (62), social media (57)
In the Classroom
Students take or find images that represent classroom topics (e.g., examples of symmetry, weather patterns, character traits) and submit them to the teacher for posting. Each week, feature one student's artwork, writing, or project on a classroom slideshow or private feed to encourage pride in work and peer recognition. During a science experiment or multi-step project, students can document each stage with photos and captions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tik Tok Teaching Hacks for Middle School Classrooms - Education World
Grades
5 to 8
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The article "TikTok Teaching Hacks for Middle School Classrooms" from Education World explores innovative ways educators can integrate TikTok into their teaching strategies to enhance...more
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The article "TikTok Teaching Hacks for Middle School Classrooms" from Education World explores innovative ways educators can integrate TikTok into their teaching strategies to enhance student engagement. It discusses how short, focused videos can serve as supplementary instructional tools, accommodating students' shorter attention spans and enabling revisiting for deeper understanding. The piece also highlights TikTok's potential to foster creativity and collaboration among students through content creation and interactive projects. Additionally, it addresses the concept of leveraging student influencers to motivate peers and improve classroom dynamics. The article emphasizes the importance of adhering to privacy guidelines and implementing appropriate safeguards when using social media platforms in educational settings.
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tag(s): collaboration (87), creativity (82), digital citizenship (94), social media (57), teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
Teachers can create short, focused TikTok-style videos that explain key concepts--such as grammar rules, math formulas, or historical facts. These can be replayed by students as study tools or warm-up activities. Students work individually or in small groups to create their own TikTok videos summarizing a lesson, acting out a vocabulary word, or demonstrating a science experiment. These activities build both content mastery and creativity. Designate a rotating group of "class influencers" to create a brief video recap of the day's lesson or discussion. These videos can be shared on a secure platform or embedded in a class website for review. Use TikTok's popularity to start a conversation about online safety, privacy, and responsible digital behavior. Have students evaluate what makes content engaging and appropriate for an educational setting. Then, co-create classroom guidelines for creating and sharing digital content.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Games and Challenges - Genially
Grades
3 to 12
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Genially's escape room templates are designed to be adaptable for a wide range of grade levels. The platform offers a variety of themes and levels of complexity, allowing educators...more
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Genially's escape room templates are designed to be adaptable for a wide range of grade levels. The platform offers a variety of themes and levels of complexity, allowing educators to tailor the content to their students' ages and learning objectives. For example, simpler games like Candyland or Children's Game templates are well-suited for younger students, while more intricate scenarios, such as the Artificial Intelligence Escape Room or Time Machine Escape, are ideal for older students seeking a challenge. Educators can customize these templates to align with their curriculum, making them versatile tools for engaging students across different educational stages.
tag(s): collaboration (87), digital escapes (28), gamification (90), Teacher Utilities (175)
In the Classroom
Customize a Genially escape room (like Education Escape Room or Mystery Breakout) with questions and puzzles that review key concepts from your current unit--perfect as a fun pre-test or review session. Divide students into small groups and assign them different puzzles or tasks within the escape game. This activity encourages teamwork, communication, and shared problem-solving as they work toward a common goal. Challenge students to create their digital escape rooms using Genially's templates. They must design puzzles, write clues, and embed subject content, transforming them from game players into game designers. Use a breakout template to reinforce vocabulary. Each "lock" can be opened only by correctly defining or using academic terms in context, making it ideal for ELA, science, or history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Managing Impulsivity (Habit of the Mind) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Welcome to our collection of resources on the Habit of Mind of Managing Impulsivity--the practice of taking your time, thinking before acting, and remaining calm and deliberative even...more
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Welcome to our collection of resources on the Habit of Mind of Managing Impulsivity--the practice of taking your time, thinking before acting, and remaining calm and deliberative even in the heat of the moment. In a world that often demands quick reactions, we've gathered a variety of tools to help you foster calm, thoughtful, and deliberate decision-making in your classroom. In this collection, you'll find mindfulness videos and breathing exercises that help students develop self-awareness, interactive scenarios and decision-making simulations that practice the "pause and think" approach, printable stop-and-think cards and visual cue posters for classroom use, lesson plans for teaching students to pause and reflect, interactive scenarios where students can practice weighing consequences, and resources for helping them become more aware of their own thoughts and feelings, and self-monitoring checklists that encourage students to track their progress. You'll also discover timer tools and web resources that build in intentional waiting periods, as well as discussion guides to help students recognize their thoughts and feelings before reacting. These resources will provide concrete strategies and examples to help your students learn to consider multiple options, fully understand directions before starting a task, and respond to situations with intention rather than impulse.
tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Discover new tools to try in your classroom that manage students' impulsivity. Also, explore the professional resources (for you). Each review includes classroom use ideas. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will work for you and your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Impulse Control - TPT
Grades
K to 8
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View these free resources focused on impulse control and self-regulation, including scenario cards, task cards, posters, journal pages, and worksheets that help students recognize impulses,...more
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View these free resources focused on impulse control and self-regulation, including scenario cards, task cards, posters, journal pages, and worksheets that help students recognize impulses, pause and think, and make better choices. Many materials are designed for elementary grades and fit naturally into social-emotional learning or classroom management routines. These resources are easy to integrate into transitions, small-group lessons, morning meetings, or individual student support, and they provide low-prep, engaging tools to help students build practical impulse-control skills in everyday classroom situations.
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tag(s): behavior (33), social and emotional learning (127), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Each day, post a new impulse challenge inspired by tasks often found on TPT (wait your turn patiently, follow directions the first time, use kind words when frustrated). Have students track in Book Creator, reviewed here when they successfully meet the challenge and reflect on which strategies helped. Or use Book Creator to have them complete a reflection page where students write or draw a moment when they felt an impulse, what they wanted to do, and what they chose to do instead. Introduce a set of calming strategies such as deep breathing, counting to ten, or chair yoga. Have students create a small foldable or card that lists three strategies they can use when they feel impulsive.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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10 Games to Build Stop-and-Think Skills and Regulation - Grow and Thrive Therapy
Grades
K to 5
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Discover games that students can play both at home and in the classroom. The ten games featured are: Red Light Green Light, Simon Says, Freeze Dance, Jenga, Mirror Game, Pencil ...more
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Discover games that students can play both at home and in the classroom. The ten games featured are: Red Light Green Light, Simon Says, Freeze Dance, Jenga, Mirror Game, Pencil Balancing Game, ABC Game, I'm Going on a Picnic, Don't Break the Ice, and Back to Back Drawing. Each game has a short description of how to play and the skill it fosters.
tag(s): classroom management (107), emotions (55), game based learning (244), social and emotional learning (127)
In the Classroom
Students can play the various games mentioned in the site. Students can share on Padlet, reviewed here which was their favorite game to play. Finally, students can create their own game using Blooket, reviewed here to review the rules of each of the games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stop Think Act Impulse Control Free Printables and Song - Your Therapy Source
Grades
K to 4
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Support students in managing their impulses with printables and songs. This article covers impulse control, how to teach children to stop-think-act, how to practice stop-think-act,...more
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Support students in managing their impulses with printables and songs. This article covers impulse control, how to teach children to stop-think-act, how to practice stop-think-act, and a YouTube video featuring the top-think-act song. The printables and song are downloaded as a PDF.
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tag(s): emotions (55), mental health (56), social and emotional learning (127)
In the Classroom
Students can create their own scenarios on practicing stop-think-act and record themselves using ScreenPal, reviewed here. Students can share times when they have lost their ability to control their emotions. Finally, students can use Magic School, reviewed here to create their own song.
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Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations (Habit of the Mind) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of resources is designed to help you and your students cultivate the Habit of Mind of Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations--the strategic practice of accessing...more
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This collection of resources is designed to help you and your students cultivate the Habit of Mind of Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations--the strategic practice of accessing prior knowledge and transferring what you've learned beyond the original context to tackle fresh challenges. This connective habit helps students use math concepts to solve real-world problems, apply research skills from one project to another, and draw on previous experiences to navigate unfamiliar territory with confidence. We've all seen students who ace a test but can't apply the same knowledge to a real-world problem. We've gathered a variety of tools to help you bridge that gap, empowering students to "use what they learn" and access prior knowledge in novel contexts. In this collection, you'll find video examples showing how skills transfer across disciplines and contexts, interactive analogy activities and pattern-recognition challenges that strengthen connection-making, KWL charts that help students link new learning to past experiences, lesson plans featuring real-world application projects and cross-curricular problem-solving tasks, and transfer journals where students document how they've repurposed their knowledge. These resources are packed with practical strategies and real examples to help your students tap into what they already know and make those "aha!" connections across everything they're learning and doing.
tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn more about applying past knowledge to new situations. Share a link to this collection on your school web page. Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thinking about Thinking (Metacognition) - Habit of the Mind - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This collection of resources is designed to help you and your students cultivate the Habit of Mind of Metacognition, or "Thinking about Thinking." This crucial skill is all about "knowing...more
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This collection of resources is designed to help you and your students cultivate the Habit of Mind of Metacognition, or "Thinking about Thinking." This crucial skill is all about "knowing your knowing"--the powerful practice of being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings, and actions, and understanding how your thinking shapes your outcomes. This foundational habit helps students reflect on their learning processes, recognize their personal strengths and weaknesses, and monitor their understanding as they work through tasks like reading comprehension or problem-solving. In this collection, you'll find video tutorials explaining metacognitive strategies and self-monitoring techniques, interactive think-aloud activities that make thinking processes visible, reflection journals and self-assessment checklists for tracking learning progress, lesson plans, digital journals and self-assessment checklists for tracking learning progress, and comprehension monitoring tools like reading trackers and confusion cards. Resources such as digital journals and reflection prompts encourage students to reflect on their learning processes, as well as online diagnostic tools that help them identify their own strengths and weaknesses. By utilizing these resources, you can equip your students with the tools to pause and reflect on their own thinking. In no time, you'll be equipping them with the self-awareness and skills they need to become confident, independent problem solvers.
tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Help your students learn and practice metacognition. This list includes resources for all grades. Read each resource's Classroom Use section to learn ways to incorporate the information in your lessonsAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thinking Flexibly (Habit of the Mind) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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Learn about Thinking Flexibly, a Habit of Mind--the ability to change perspectives, generate alternatives, and look at situations from multiple angles to discover new possibilities....more
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Learn about Thinking Flexibly, a Habit of Mind--the ability to change perspectives, generate alternatives, and look at situations from multiple angles to discover new possibilities. In an ever-changing world, we've gathered a variety of tools to help you foster creativity, adaptability, and the ability to generate alternatives in your classroom. This creative habit empowers students to find multiple approaches to solving problems, adapt their strategies when circumstances change, and consider different viewpoints in discussions and debates. In this collection, you'll find interactive simulations and virtual labs that require students to adapt their strategies to succeed, as well as digital platforms for brainstorming and mind mapping that encourage diverse solutions. You will also discover brain teaser puzzles (and digital escapes) that require multiple solution pathways, interactive activities that challenge students to explore alternative perspectives, printable and virtual graphic organizers for comparing different approaches and options, lesson plans featuring open-ended problems with no single "right" answer, and debate protocols that encourage respectful consideration of opposing views. By deliberately incorporating these resources into your daily routines and creating a classroom culture that celebrates diverse thinking, you'll help students develop the mental agility and adaptability essential for navigating our ever-changing world.
tag(s): flexibility (5)
In the Classroom
Discover new tools to try in your classroom that foster flexible thinking. Also, explore the professional resources (for you). Each review includes classroom use ideas. Read the details of each tool and find the ones that will work for you and your students.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 (281), social and emotional learning (127), teaching strategies (59), thinking skills (57)
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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PBL Resources - PBLWorks
Grades
3 to 5
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The Resources Overview section of the PBLWorks website offers a rich collection of tools, guides, and supports designed to help teachers plan and implement high-quality project-based...more
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The Resources Overview section of the PBLWorks website offers a rich collection of tools, guides, and supports designed to help teachers plan and implement high-quality project-based learning. It includes a library of standards-aligned project units, rubrics, strategy guides, webinars, and student handouts, searchable by grade level and subject area. Whether you are just beginning with PBL or looking to deepen your practice, these resources provide explicit scaffolding and practical ideas to promote student agency, collaboration, and inquiry in the classroom.
tag(s): Project Based Learning (27), rubrics (38), teaching strategies (59), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Show a short video connected to an upcoming unit, then build a "Wonder Wall" where students post questions. This model shows how PBL begins with curiosity and student-generated inquiry. Teach students to write interview questions and rehearse asking them. Then invite a school staff member (nurse, custodian, counselor) as a guest expert. Have students research their classmates' needs, design a small improvement (e.g., a class jobs system, a reading nook layout, noise-level agreements), and present their ideas. Use the PBLWorks rubrics to guide collaboration and presentation skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Connecting Across Disciplines in PBL - Edutopia
Grades
3 to 5
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In the article Connecting Across Disciplines in PBL: Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning, teachers are invited to rethink how students learn by exploring big questions that...more
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In the article Connecting Across Disciplines in PBL: Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning, teachers are invited to rethink how students learn by exploring big questions that cross traditional subject boundaries. The piece explains how interdisciplinary project-based learning helps students make meaningful, real-world connections, deepen their thinking, and stay more engaged. It describes a continuum of ways teachers can blend subjects and shows how projects become stronger when students use skills from science, social studies, literacy, and more to solve authentic problems. The article encourages educators to move beyond isolated lessons and design learning experiences in which students investigate, collaborate, and apply knowledge across multiple disciplines.
tag(s): professional development (281), Project Based Learning (27), teaching strategies (59)
In the Classroom
Have students investigate a simple real-world problem in your school, such as noisy hallways or wasted food in the cafeteria. Let them gather data in math, write observations in ELA, and brainstorm causes in science. Create a mini interdisciplinary inquiry in which students read a nonfiction text in ELA about a science or social studies topic, then design a hands-on model or diagram that explains the problem from another subject's perspective. Launch a small PBL challenge in which students create a proposal to improve something at the school or in the community. They may research in social studies, write persuasive pieces in ELA, measure materials in math, and present solutions digitally using Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Applying Prior Knowledge to New Situations - University of Vermont Extension Institute
Grades
4 to 12
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The page titled "University of Vermont Extension Institute (UVEI) Wiki: Applying Prior Knowledge to New Situations" explains how this Habit of Mind supports students in using what they...more
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The page titled "University of Vermont Extension Institute (UVEI) Wiki: Applying Prior Knowledge to New Situations" explains how this Habit of Mind supports students in using what they already know to approach new and unfamiliar problems. It describes how learners sometimes treat each task as entirely separate, and emphasizes the importance of prompting them to recall previous experiences and make valuable connections. The website places this habit within a broader set of thinking skills and instructional practices, showing teachers how encouraging students to transfer learning can strengthen understanding and problem-solving.
tag(s): professional development (281), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Have students list anything they already know about a new topic or skill. Give students a challenging problem, then ask them to create a simpler version based on what they already know and solve both. Have students write or draw analogies showing how a new concept is like something they have learned before.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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16 Habits of Mind: Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations - WonderGrove Kids
Grades
3 to 5
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Use this video to introduce students to this Habit of Mind by showing how what they already know can help them solve new and more complex problems. The narrator explains ...more
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Use this video to introduce students to this Habit of Mind by showing how what they already know can help them solve new and more complex problems. The narrator explains that prior knowledge is a powerful resource, especially when students feel stuck or believe a task is too difficult. By reminding children to recall simpler problems they've solved or experiences they've had, the video models how to transfer learning and build confidence. It also emphasizes that using past knowledge is a creative act, helping learners form analogies and apply familiar ideas to unfamiliar situations in meaningful ways. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): problem solving (240), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Present a new math or reading problem and ask students to identify one strategy they used yesterday that might help them today. Have students create an analogy that connects a new concept (like theme, fractions, force, or government roles) to something they've learned earlier in the year. Students can take a problem they solved earlier in the year (ELA, math, or science) and "remix" it into a harder version, showing how their past knowledge helps them solve the new version.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Metacognition: An Important Skill for Modern Times - Brendan Conway-Smith
Grades
4 to 12
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The talk "Metacognition: An Important Skill for Modern Times" by Brendan Conway-Smith explains the idea of metacognition, which means thinking about your own thinking, and shows why...more
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The talk "Metacognition: An Important Skill for Modern Times" by Brendan Conway-Smith explains the idea of metacognition, which means thinking about your own thinking, and shows why it is an important skill in today's busy, technology-filled world. Conway-Smith describes how constant distractions and information overload make it hard for our brains to stay focused, and he explains how greater awareness of our thoughts, attention, and emotions can help us learn better and stay in control. This talk is helpful for teachers because it highlights how guiding students to notice their thinking can build independence, stronger focus, and deeper learning.
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tag(s): brain (55), professional development (281), social and emotional learning (127), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Give students a simple puzzle (a word scramble, a math riddle, or a pattern). Before solving, ask them to write or say, "How do I plan to solve this?" Afterward, they reflect on what worked and what didn't. Set up a short activity, such as a reading passage or drawing task, and pause halfway to let students check in with themselves. They can answer quick prompts like "Is my mind wandering?" and "What can I do to refocus?" Students will begin to see how awareness affects performance. Have students create a set of colorful cards that teach strategies such as "Take a brain break," "Ask yourself questions," "Notice your emotions," and "Check your work." They can decorate, explain, and practice each strategy, then use their cards during class for future learning tasks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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