A “conjecture” is an idea that is believed to be true, but has not yet been proven. They are authentic unanswered questions for students to explore. The Collatz Conjecture uses two simple rules to get from any number to 1. It seems to work for all numbers…
Year: 2013
Why Pi?
Pi Day is just around the corner, but the typical fare include π art projects, memorization challenges, or other activities that separate π from its real uses. But π is such a fascinating topic that it should inspire curiosity and wonder on its own.
Using A Classic: Charlie Chaplin
Integrating a classic is a great way to pump up an otherwise simple lesson. It seems like a black and white movie is the last thing a kid would want to see, but classics are classics for a reason!
Forming A Big Idea: Details Within Details
We’ll use a deductive-style lesson. While inductive thinking is open-ended and student-controlled, deductive thinking is focused on a teacher-designed topic. It makes it easier to teach a specific concept and raise the expectations of a lesson.
Sharing Byrdseed
Frequently, people email to ask my permission to share a resource from Byrdseed in a presentation. Yes! Absolutely. Don’t even ask!
An Academic Twist on Valentines
Want to have some February fun? Let’s merge the idea of “going together like milk and cookies” with curriculum to create Academic Valentine’s Day cards!
3 Sites For Free Classics
The public domain is a rich collection of creative works whose copyrights have expired. More than ever we have incredible access to this art and literature. Public domain images and writings add depth to lessons and expose students to classic works.
3 Advanced Literary Techniques
Students’ education about literary devices seems to max out with personification, similes, and other types of figurative language. But what about more complex tools?
Kids Aren’t Naturally Good At Technology
Sure, students use a lot of technology, but that doesn’t mean they use it correctly, completely, or competently. Kids have an improvised tech-literacy in the same way a bright child might have an improvised ability to read before starting school.
A Creative Coloring Book (For All Ages)
A few years ago, my young niece picked up interesting coloring book while we vacationed in Mammoth Lakes, CA. This is no “stay within the lines” book, however. Titled Scribbles, this book is filled with nearly 400 creative, divergent, and open-ended thinking tasks.