Critical thinking lessons

Critical Thinking, Engineering, Thanksgiving

Have a classroom Thanksgiving Day Parade! Make learning fun with this Thanksgiving STEAM challenge in which students design their very own Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon! An excellent companion activity to the fall read aloud book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.Not only do students design the balloon, but as an added challenge they must create a device to keep it floating in the air!Students plan, design, and execute their own ideas. After they have completed their activity, there is t

Subjects:

Grades:

K - 5th

Types:

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, World History

CCSS:

W.2.8

, W.3.10

, W.4.10

, W.5.10

NGSS:

K-2-ETS1-2

, K-2-ETS1-3

, K-2-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

...

Also included in: Thanksgiving READ ALOUD STEM™ Activities and Challenges BUNDLE

The Holocaust

Created by

World's Okayest Teacher

Students will read and answer text dependent questions about the Holocaust, the rise of Hitler to power, concentration camps, and end of the Third Reich. There are critical thinking questions and some primary source photographs to analyze.

Subjects:

Grades:

4th - 8th

Types:

Printables, Lesson

Also included in: World War II Bundle

STEM Challenge Bucket Tower Problem-Solving Learning Activity Upper Elementary

Created by

This unique and original STEM Activity features a bucket with the challenge to build a tower that will hold weight. It's an engaging student favorite and you will love the ready-made lab sheets and low prep. Students must also explain why their towers need a bucket. Imaginative answers are one of the high points of this challenge- along with seeing those creative bucket towers!➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.➡️ Click here for the Easy Supplies 6-Pack bun

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM CHALLENGES ENTIRE YEAR 60 Projects, Planning Guide, and Posters

STEM Challenge Earthquake Resistant Structures Project- 3 Versions

Created by

This STEM activity features an earthquake simulation with students building and shaking! You will love the shake tray instructions and ready-made lab sheets. This engineering project is one of our favorites! Your students will love building the structures and cheering when they remain standing. I include 3 different methods for the challenge.➡️ Click here to save 20% with a bundle including this resource and 2 more Earth challenges.NOTE: This resource contains many ways to complete this challeng

Subjects:

Grades:

4th - 5th

Types:

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

, 4-ESS3-2

, 4-ESS3-1

Also included in: Earth Projects STEM Challenge Bundle Featuring Earthquake Structures

Creativity Activities and Challenges MEGA Bundle Finish the Picture, STEM

Created by

Critical Thinking, English Language Arts, Holidays/Seasonal

Need a quick, no prep, creative STEM challenges to get your students to think outside the box?! Creativity challenges can be used as a quick warm up before a STEM challenge to help jumpstart students’ creativity. They can also be used for morning work, brain breaks, and at various other times throughout the school day.This bundle includes 100+ Creativity Challenges and Activities. Featuring Balloons Over Broadway, Snowflake Bentley, Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, Earth Day, Halloween, Christmas

Subjects:

Grades:

K - 5th

Types:

STEM Spaghetti Tower Challenge Problem-Solving Project

Created by

Who knew a project using spaghetti could be so engaging and have easy prep for you? Students love this tower-building event with the unlikeliest of materials- spaghetti and one marshmallow. You will enjoy the ready-made lab sheets and the 4 different versions of this resource. ➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.What is the challenge?Students will use raw spaghetti strands to build a structure that will hold weight at the top. There are 4 variations of this

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

GATER Educator - Kris Prince

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM Activities Tower Bundle Set 1

Inside Out Movie Guide | Inside Out Movie Activities | Social Emotional Learning

Created by

Looking to support your student's social-emotional needs?What better way to engage students than with a MOVIE TIME? ... INSIDE, OUT is certainly a fun childhood favorite!Check out these LEARNING ACTIVITIES created just for the movie!Personality Islands Digital PBLPersonality Islands Printable PBLHow to Make Broccoli Pizza - A Fun and Engaging Reading and Math ActivityThis resource includes a printable AND digital version to use with Google Classroom™Looking for more MOVIE GUIDES? Click HERE-Movi

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Gifted and Talented, Life Skills

Grades:

4th - 7th

Types:

GATE, Movie Guides, Lesson

CCSS:

RL.5.2

, RL.5.3

, SL.4.1d

, SL.4.3

, SL.5.1

...

Also included in: Independent Projects | Gifted and Talented Students | Early Finishers | BUNDLE 1

READ ALOUD STEM Activities and Challenges MEGA Bundle #1 STEM Club, STEM Centers

Created by

Critical Thinking, Engineering, Science

Integrate STEM and Literacy in your classroom all year with READ ALOUD STEM Volume One! Everything you need to be the master STEM Teacher at your school! Awaken imagination and creativity all year. Students learn coding, engineering, explore real-world problems, learn about STEM role models, pioneers, inventors, and more!Amazing resource for STEM clubs, STEM Teachers, STEM Stations, STEM Centers, parents who love hands-on learning, and elementary teachers who want to create a hands-on educationa

Subjects:

Grades:

1st - 5th

Types:

CCSS:

W.1.1

, W.1.2

, W.1.3

, W.1.5

, W.1.6

...

STEM Popcorn Challenge - Problem-Solving & Volume Project - Measurement Activity

Created by

It’s the Popcorn STEM Activity! This Easy Prep Challenge is one of my absolute favorites to use as an exploration into volume. This challenge has been tested with 2nd-5th graders and they all enjoy designing those containers to hold the popcorn. Inevitably, there will be gigantic containers. Please note: This challenge is available in money-saving bundles!➡️ Click HERE to save 20 % with STEM Volume Bundle➡️ Click HERE to save 20 % with STEM 6-Pack Math Skills Bundle➡️ Click HERE to save 20 % wit

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

Innovative Teaching Ideas

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM Volume Challenges featuring Math-Based Projects

Fake News Unit | Critical Thinking | Media Literacy | Fact Analysis & Research

Created by

Teaching students to navigate news and information on mainstream, traditional and social media as critical thinkers is essential in 2024. It is becoming increasingly difficult to separate FACTS and OPINIONS, SATIRE from LIES, and PERSUASION from PROPAGANDA in the "MISINFORMATION:" eraA well-grounded understanding of MEDIA-LITERACY is crucial in stopping FAKE NEWS and RADICALIZATION. And This PROVEN resource will teach your students the skills to identify, analyze and critique information throug

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Informational Text, Reading Strategies

Grades:

5th - 10th

Types:

PowerPoint Presentations, Lesson

CCSS:

RI.5.2

, RI.5.3

, RI.5.6

, RI.5.7

, RI.5.9

...

Also included in: CRITICAL THINKING LITERACY SKILLS | SEARCH, FAKE NEWS, FACT & OPINION, RESEARCH

My Place in the World Project: "Me on the Map" Geography for Kids

Created by

Kid World Citizen

This hands-on geography project "My Place in the World" has kids create a visual representation of how we fit into the world. Teachers often use it with the kids' geography book "Me on the Map," by Joan Sweeney. Ideal for integrated Social Studies, ELA, Geography, Literacy, and Map Skills.Using a series of nesting circles to show the relative sizes of different geographic places, this simple but effective geography lesson helps kids sort out their relation to one another. This activity includes

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Geography, Social Studies - History

Grades:

K - 5th

Types:

Worksheets, Cultural Activities, Lesson

Also included in: Geography for Kids Bundle: Three Essential Hands-on Activities

Oregon Trail: Simulation Game

Created by

VintageValdez

Super engaging slideshow game to get students thinking about what life on the Oregon Trail was like. You lead the class with 13 scenarios, and students make decisions and keep track of survival points. A great way to introduce the Oregon Trail to students. It includes 42 slides, directions, and a student handout to record survival points. I use this activity with my 8 graders a few details might need to be edited if used with younger grade levels.Takes about 1 hour.

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Social Studies - History

Grades:

3rd - 12th

Types:

Games, Simulations, Lesson

Also included in: Western Expansion Games Bundle: Oregon Trail, Gold Rush, Lewis and clark

Classroom Debate Unit for Grades 4-7

Created by

Coach's Corner

This Let's Debate Mini-Unit is intended to support 4th - 7th grade teachers and students as they prepare to participate in class debates, both as actual debaters and as stakeholder audience members. This engaging activity can be used in many subject areas, and is a great culminating task for any unit. Perfect for that upcoming teacher evaluation you may have coming up!This four day unit includes:► Detailed lesson plans spanning four days► List of suggested topics► Schedules and templates► Deba

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, English Language Arts, For All Subjects

Grades:

4th - 7th

Types:

Unit Plans, Activities, Lesson

STEM Bubble Wand Design Challenge Science Activity

Created by

Bubbles, Bubbles, Everywhere! STEM students love bubbles! This STEM activity has elements of fun, but also a great design and building challenge. After exploring with bubbles students will design and test their own bubble wands! Watch them engineer the ultimate bubble with their bubble wands!➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 6 projects.What is the challenge?This STEM Challenge will have your st

Subjects:

Grades:

2nd - 5th

Types:

First Grade Hip Hip Hooray

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM Fun Challenge Bundle

The Day The Crayons Quit...Book Companion...Color Activities!

Created by

Visit this site to learn more!!Updated to to include Color pages and Colour pages.This is one of my favorite stories. So many Common Core Standards can be addressed using this piece of literature. Best is that it will bring a smile to your children's faces as they listen to this delightful tale and maybe even take a peek at their own crayons.Activities are differentiated to meet the variety of levels found in the classroom.The packet contains:Story Recall...Problem identification/how it was so

Subjects:

Back to School, Critical Thinking, Writing

Grades:

K - 2nd

Types:

End of the Year Creativity Challenges Brain Break Activities, STEM Warm-ups

Created by

Arts & Music, Critical Thinking, End of Year

Unlock creativity in your classroom at the End of the School Year!!Need quick, no prep, end of the year activities to get your students thinking outside the box?!May Creativity Challenges are great for engaging students during morning work, early finishers, or add some creative thinking tasks to your last week of school classroom activities!The goal of creativity challenges is to help students think in different ways. The ability to generate unique thoughts and ideas is known as divergent thinki

Subjects:

Grades:

1st - 5th

Types:

Projects, Activities, Lesson

Also included in: Creativity Activities and Challenges MEGA Bundle Finish the Picture, STEM

STEM Marshmallow Bridge Challenge Project-Based Learning Activity

Created by

You will love the simple materials used in this challenge! The marshmallow bridges are not very long but will test the patience and diligence of students as they work to finish this successfully. And, they will! Great cheering will happen when a bridge spans the gap and holds a little bit of weight!➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource and 2 additional bridge building activities.What is the challenge?The design challenge lesson contained in this package is a bridge-building experience.

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Informational Text, Study Skills

Grades:

4th - 5th

Types:

Activities, Lesson

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM Challenges Bridges Bundle 3 Activities

Organization 101 - Full Curriculum: Study Skills; Executive Functioning

Created by

Think ELA

This is a BUNDLE of Organization 101 modules containing a full curriculum that will help your students establish a strong foundation for academic success. This is a giant bundle of 10 separate modules covering so many aspects of how to be organized mentally and physically in school.This is a perfect unit to use remotely with students through Google Classroom. The Student Playlists are a stand-alone Google doc that can be copied for students. Students will independently work through the activitie

Subjects:

Grades:

6th - 12th

Types:

Lesson

STEM Marble Maze Challenge – Project Based Activity

Created by

You will love the versatility of this challenge. Three versions of the activity are included. Each version has a teacher's guide. Student lab sheets and sample answers are also provided. Your students will be a"mazed" with this project, too!➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.What is the challenge?This STEM activity will have your students design a maze through which a marble can travel. They will fold and bend paper or cardboard into the maze paths and then

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

Canadian History, Critical Thinking, Native Americans

NGSS:

3-PS2-1

, 4-PS3-4

, 3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-PS2-2

, 4-PS3-1

...

Also included in: STEM Projects Building Models - Mazes, Boats, and Cars Challenges

Grade 5 Social Studies Ontario - Indigenous Peoples & The Impact of Europeans

Created by

Madly Learning

Grade 5 Ontario Social Studies Teachers do you need to teach all about the history of Indigenous Peoples and the impact of Early European Explorers in what would eventually be known as Canada. Then check out this comprehensive Social Studies Unit for Strand A of the Ontario Social Studies 2020 curriculum.This inquiry-based unit will allow your students to have more flexibility and choice in their learning to cover learning expectations and spark an interest in this topic.This unit is designed t

Subjects:

Grades:

5th

Types:

Unit Plans, Thematic Unit Plans, Lesson

Also included in: Indigenous Peoples and Europeans & Early Societies | ONTARIO GRADE 4/5 UNIT

STEM Roller Coaster Challenge- Force and Motion Project Based Learning

Created by

Do you love an easy prep challenge? I do and I love watching students explore using this Roller Coaster activity. Students have a few materials and must design and construct a roller coaster model. It is truly exciting to watch them work and test their roller coasters. It’s a test of patience with constant revisions.➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.NOTE: This experience will take 2-3 class sessions to complete. Also, please note that this package is desi

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

Wild and Free in Grade Three

NGSS:

3-PS2-1

, 4-PS3-4

, 3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-PS2-2

, 4-PS3-1

...

Also included in: STEM MONTHLY BUNDLE 30 Challenges FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR

Cookie Crime Scene Investigation: An Activity in Making Inferences

Created by

BEST SELLER ALERT!Lead your students on an engaging, hands-on, inference-making journey using this crime scene investigation!Students will come back to the classroom, which has been the scene of a crime! Their teacher (you, of course!) baked two-dozen cookies to share with the class this afternoon. However, while away from the classroom, someone came into the room and stole those cookies after snacking on one of them him or herself!By planting clues in your classroom and creating a crime scene,

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, English Language Arts, For All Subject Areas

Grades:

3rd - 6th

Types:

Projects, Activities, Lesson

CCSS:

RL.3.1

, RL.4.1

, RL.5.1

, RL.6.1

STEM Toothpick Tower Challenge Easy Prep Activity

Created by

Are you looking for an easy prep challenge? This Toothpick Tower STEM Activity is the one! Towers are the best! Students love to build and stack items to create the tallest possible tower. With this tower challenge, they also have to be diligent in maintaining a solid base and must constantly rethink the task. This is one of our favorites!➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 3 projects.➡️ Click here to save 20% on this STEM resource in a bundle of 6 projects.What is the

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

NGSS:

3-5-ETS1-3

, 3-5-ETS1-1

, 3-5-ETS1-2

Also included in: STEM Activities Tower Bundle Set 1

Elementary STEM Activities and Challenges MEGA BUNDLE

Created by

Critical Thinking, Engineering, Science

Integrate STEM in your classroom all year! Includes 60+ STEM Challenges!The Entire year of STEM Challenges is an excellent tool for a STEM Club or a weekly STEM activity in your classroom! These engaging Elementary STEM challenges align with the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). STEM Projects are perfect for helping students learn to work cooperatively in small groups and grow on their own. Each STEM challenge begins with a letter written to students explaining a problem they must solve

Subjects:

Grades:

1st - 5th

Types: