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Website
NPR: National Public Radio

Npr: Intersections: Inspiration and Creativity

For Students 9th - 10th
Where does artistic inspiration come from? A series on NPR about the influence of artists on other artists helps to answer the question. Inspiration and creativity are shown to flow from an intense study of work of others.
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Website
Mind Tools

Mind Tools: Generating New Ideas: Think Differently and Spark Creativity

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Need a fresh idea? Many students and teachers often can get stuck in a rut and their creative juices simply stop flowing. Help generate new ideas by learning how to break thought processes, connect the unconnected, shift your...
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Website
Mind Tools

Mind Tools: Creativity Tools

For Students Pre-K - 1st
There are two different styles of creativity, technical and artistic. This article focuses on technical creativity and its two main strands, programmed thinking and lateral thinking, with examples of each approach.
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Website
Mind Tools

Mind Tools: How Creative Are You?

For Students 9th - 10th
Do you know how creative you are? Take this quiz and find comprehensive and personalized answers to find your creative strengths and weaknesses.
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Website
Other

Pixton: Make and Share Comics

For Students 9th - 10th
Create your own comic with the "click-n-drag" method using characters, props, and speech bubbles at the click of a button.
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Handout
Other

Creating Minds: Creative Tools

For Students 9th - 10th
Do you need help being creative? Here is an excellent resource that lists many different tools or techniques that can aid you in being creative. Each tool includes information for when to use it, how to use it, examples in its use and...
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Interactive
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Young Scientist Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore innovations, complete a virtual lab or travel through time with this website. Content on this page allows users to understand how products are developed.
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Website
Other

Teaching Creativity Skills: Creative Thinking Skills for Life and Education

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Presents information about how to use creativity in the classroom. There are also many links to other sites that contain additional resources pertaining to creativity.
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Interactive
Goodwill

Gcf Global: Creativity

For Students 9th - 10th
In this tutorial, you'll learn some tips for being creative at work and at home.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Lemelson Center: Invention Process

For Students 9th - 10th
Through a number of articles, stories and research we learn about the invention process, including communicating your ideas, staying resilient when things go wrong.
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Power of Creative Constraints

For Students 9th - 10th
Brandon Rodriguez explains how creative constraints actually help drive discovery and innovation.
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Lesson Plan
ArtsNow

Arts Now Learning: Realizing the Power of Your Own Creativity [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
In this lesson plan, students interpret a poem called 'The Little Blue Engine' by adding music, movement, visual art, and drama. After performing their creation, they will discuss any mathematical and/or scientific connections that have...
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Professional Doc
Edutopia

Edutopia: How to Use Play for Learning

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Play is a primary and integral mode through which children make sense of the world, and that it is essential to their development and well-being. This article offers ideas on how to balance play and academic expectations in your classroom.
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Article
Other

Learners Edge: Play in the Classroom

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Play is not more important than science, literacy, physics, or math - it IS science, literacy, physics, and math. It is the FOUNDATION for learning. This article touches on the research supporting the importance of incorporating play...
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Article
PBS

Pbs: Creativity and Play: Fostering Creativity

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
One of the most important types of creative activity for young children is creative play. This article discusses the benefits of creative play and other ways to foster creativity in your classroom.
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Article
Other

Roots of Action: How Kids Learn to Take Initiative and Overcome Challenges

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Learning to take initiative is a behavior that helps kids navigate their lives with courage and optimism. This article provides insights into how children learn to take initiative. Parents and teachers are key mentors in the process. A...
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Article
Other

School for Young Children: Risk Taking for Preschoolers

For Teachers Pre-K
This article takes a look at what risk-taking looks like in a preschool classroom.
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Article
Other

Early Learning Services: Challenge and Risk in Children's Play

For Teachers Pre-K
Risky play can be defined as a thrilling and exciting activity that involves a risk of physical injury, and play that provides opportunities for challenge, testing limits, exploring boundaries and learning about injury risk. This article...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: My Own Kingdom

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson requires students to write a descriptive essay and make an illustration of their own imaginary kingdom and share with the class. This lesson can be done after reading about Leslie's and Jesse's kingdom from the book, Bridge...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: A Creative Twist to the Tragedy of Macbeth

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A Creative Twist to The Tragedy of Macbeth is a project that gives students an opportunity to express their understanding of Macbeth through their artistic ability. The activity appeals to the learning style of all students by allowing...
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Professional Doc
Scholastic

Scholastic: How to Promote Creative Thinking

For Teachers Pre-K - K
As teachers, we play an important role in supporting children's ability in art, dramatic expression, and creative responses to problems. Creative power increases a young child's desire to learn and supports intellectual development. This...
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Activity
Other

Teach Preschool: Discovering Imagination With Chalk

For Teachers Pre-K - K
The book "Chalk" by Bill Thompson is a book that inspires imagination within the students and the teacher. This lesson is one way to inspire imagination using this book in your classroom.
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Article
Other

Scientific Parenting Tips: Teaching Children to Take Initiative

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Some children seek challenges and take initiative, whereas other kids can have difficulties to set goals and take action. This post will discuss a scientific article about differences in children's personal initiative. Research-based...
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Professional Doc
Other

Fun a Day: How to Manage Free Choice Learning Centers in Preschool

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Free choice centers offer many benefits for preschoolers. It allows them to direct their own learning, make their own decisions, and learn time management. Here are some ideas for implementing free choice centers in your classroom.