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Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Character Education "Do You Mean?"

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Excellent classroom activities for building students' character. Used to motivate students to use higher-level thinking skills, read, and develop an appreciation for their culture. Good resource.
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Interactive
Goodwill

Gcf Global: Problem Solving and Decision Making

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn strategies for solving everyday problems and making thoughtful, well-informed decisions.
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Website
Joe Landsberger

Study Guides & Strategies for Speakers of Arabic.

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the Arabic language version of a study skills site also available in English and other languages as well. Different sections teach skills in reading and writing, Internet literacy, critical thinking, math, science, dealing with...
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Interactive
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Nrich: Got It

For Students 1st - 8th
Sharpen your logical thinking and see if you can figure out the strategy to get to the target number before the computer.
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Article
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Ascd: Building Literacy in Social Studies: Ch 1: Reading Social Studies Texts

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Article provides excellent tips and strategies for building comprehension and critical thinking skills in Social Studies. It describes some of the challenges students have with reading and understanding their textbooks.
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Article
Daily Teaching Tools

Daily Teaching Tools: The Deductive Teaching Strategy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides a teaching strategy. An explanation of the deductive teaching strategy is provided, and a deductive teaching approach link is included.
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Website
Other

The Futures Channel: Problem Solving

For Students 9th - 10th
"Connecting learning to the real world" is the goal of the Futures Channel. Through the use of short videos, teachers can integrate real-world examples of how math and science are used in everyday life. Complete teaching guidelines...
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Lesson Plan
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Is It What I Think or What I Know? (Fact or Opinion)

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
This short lesson provides a fairly simple way to teach young students the difference between fact and opinion.
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Website
Mind Tools

Mind Tools: Reverse Brainstorming: A Different Approach to Brainstorming

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Reverse brainstorming is a creative way to explore critical thinking strategies. Learn how it works and read applicable examples to build a creative mind.
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eBook
Department of Defense

Do Dea: Improve Your Study Skills

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Having trouble studying for tests or comprehending new material? This in-depth guide provides a multitude of ways to help you acquire reading and critical thinking skills necessary for understanding new material.
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Mathline Lesson Plan: Mirror, Mirror [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The goal of this PBS lesson is for students to apply spatial reasoning, problem solving, and critical thinking skills to assess which regular polygons will tessellate. A detailed lesson plan that includes related worksheets, lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Abundant Area

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This is an inquiry and technology-based lesson that allows students to discover the relationship between perimeter and area. Students apply problem-solving strategies to solve the real-life problem posed in this lesson. This lesson may...
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Handout
Joe Landsberger

Study Guides and Strategies: Problem Solving and Decision Making

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn step-by-step problem solving skills with this free and user-friendly study guide. Integrate the strategies into your lesson plans or use the actual study guide to each your students about problem solving and decision making.
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Interactive
ABCya

Ab Cya: Puzzle Drops

For Students 3rd - 6th
Puzzle Drops is a fun match-3 puzzle game that the whole family will enjoy! Click/tap to rotate the puzzle piece and then drag it to the appropriate place on the game board. You'll have to use some strategy to reach the goal in each level.
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Professional Doc
Other

Loughborough Univ.: Young Children's Problem Solving in Design and Technology

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This 1997 article from the Journal of Design & Technology Education at Loughborough University in the UK looked at the problem-solving strategies young children use in design and technology tasks, both independently and when working...
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Activity
Other

Critical Reading: Three Ways to Read and Discuss Texts

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Designed to help students think about their reading and writing skills, this page offers three different ways to interpret and discuss texts.
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Activity
Daily Teaching Tools

Daily Teaching Tools: The Inquiry Teaching Strategy

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This Daily Teaching Tools resource provides information about using inquiry when teaching. An explanation shares the importance of using inquiry to spur curiosity in students as they engage in research.
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Lesson Plan
Hopelink

Hopelink: Reading Lesson Idea: Fact or Opinion?

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
In this lesson, students must learn to recognize the differences between fact and opinion.
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Activity
FNO Press

Fno.org: Inspired Investigations

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
An article at From Now On about how to help students do better research by changing the focus of research assignments and teaching students to ask essential questions. Some suggestions include using mind mapping, and using Inspiration to...
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Handout
Other

Fno: A Questioning Toolkit

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An article in which Jamie McKenzie states his belief that each district should create a Questioning Toolkit which contains several dozen kinds of questions and questioning tools. Portions of the Questioning Toolkit should be introduced...
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Website
Maths Challenge

Maths challenge.net: Problem Solving Database

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Need some challenging problem-solving work for your students in the following areas: Discrete, Geometry, Numbers, and Code Breaking? This is the place for an enormous database of problems aimed at high school age students. They are...
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Lesson Plan
Google

Google for Education: Machine Testing

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students test the functionality of a mysterious new machine whose operations are described to the class, but cannot be opened up for further investigation. Students come up with a testing strategy for this machine, test it according to...
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: The Hungry Games

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Cookieness Evereat needs your help to win The Hungry Games. Hone those executive functioning skills by practicing patience and strategies when you have to wait for something. Stop and think about what comes next in patterns and sort...
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Website
FNO Press

From Now On: Filling the Tool Box

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Dr. Jamie McKenzie offers this comprehensive look at how to help students develop questioning skills. Practical suggestions for how to implement the ideas are also included.