How is fixing a flat tire like reading and writing? By thinking about each activity properly - identifying the problem and purpose, gathering information, and making inferences - you can exercise your thinking skills equally. This...

In this thinking skills worksheet, students read three clues to figure out which of three pictures of geometric shapes is the correct one. Students draw an X on each shape that doesn't fit the clues. Students circle the correct shape....

In this thinking skills worksheet, students read 3 clues to determine which fruit (from four choices) is the correct one. Students draw an X on each fruit that does not fit the clues and circle the correct fruit. The clues refer to the...

In this thinking skills worksheet, students read a paragraph that describes the travel needs of a man who needs to get to a building on top of a mountain. From 3 picture choices, students circle the vehicle that is the right one to fit...

In this thinking skills instructional activity, students read a description about the kind of pet a girl wants. From three choices, students circle the picture of the pet that best fits the description.

Split the class into two groups for a fishbowl discussion using of Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee. The first group initiates the conversation by reviewing the important points of Chapter thirteen while group two...

Ever ask students to share their thoughts with a partner, but then hear them only talking about their weekend plans? Nip that common classroom practice in the bud with this worksheet, in which class members log the content of their...

Are you struggling to get a rich discussion going between your learners? Use these questions to spark a natural conversation about advertising and the media. Learners pair up, and each speaker gets a different set of questions to ask...

Do you have a lot of different reading levels in your class? Pair kids up by level and have them choose a book to read independently. They will make predictions, ask questions, make connections, etc. Consider creating a general reading...

Give a voice to even the most quiet learners! Post discussion questions in different locations (on the whiteboard or around the room on posters). Class members then either answer a question posed or comment on a peer's response. Instead...

Why did they say that? What did they mean? How did they feel? Using the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, challenge your young readers to answer the comprehension questions about chapters 41 and 42 of Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Each...

In this thinking skills instructional activity, students read 3 clues to determine which number (from four choices) is the correct one. Students draw an X on each number that does not fit the clues and circle the correct number. Note:...

Get your class talking, even debating, about Gary Paulsen's popular novel Canyons. As they finish chapters 10-12, they complete the following discussion web concerning Brennan and the skull. They fill out the graphic organizer provided...

Young economists engage in a series of activities designed to develop their critical thinking skills including identifying the main idea of a passage, cause and effect relationships, and making generalization based on the data included...

Couple an in-depth study guide with your unit on The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. With vocabulary exercises, discussion questions, and activities about facts and opinions, the study guide is a good way to...

Following the reading of the book Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle, the ninth lesson in this unit involves emerging experts in a science talk about how bullfrogs survive. Looking back through the text, young scholars prepare for the...

Should public humiliation be an acceptable consequence for a crime? Have your middle schoolers engage in a round table discussion about the recent resurgence of the use of public humiliation as a punishment for crimes in the United...

In this logic worksheet, students read a description of what kind of game a boy wants to play outside. From three picture choices, students circle the kind of ball that is the right one to fit his needs.

Use fables as a fun way for English Language Learners to gain confidence and fluency in their reading and speaking skills. After reading a fable in class, they retell their story to a group of their peers. When this jigsaw activity is...

Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre.  Based on what...

How familiar are your pupils with globalization? Hold a discussion on that topic using the questions and viewpoints provided here. Learners can study the vocabulary and read the points of view in order to prepare for the final talk.

A reading of Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter opens a discussion of justice and fairness. Using a Venn diagram and an Idea Wheel graphic organizer, class members consider the similarities and differences in these two terms. They then...

Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...

This is both a great idea and a great way to help your class organize a themed project. They use these worksheets to assist them in writing a creative historical narrative about the life and travels of an explorer. They'll compare and...