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16 Habits of Mind: Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations - WonderGrove Kids
Grades
3 to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): problem solving (239), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Present a new math or reading problem and ask students to identify one strategy they used yesterday that might help them today. Have students create an analogy that connects a new concept (like theme, fractions, force, or government roles) to something they've learned earlier in the year. Students can take a problem they solved earlier in the year (ELA, math, or science) and "remix" it into a harder version, showing how their past knowledge helps them solve the new version.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Metacognition: An Important Skill for Modern Times - Brendan Conway-Smith
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): brain (55), professional development (281), social and emotional learning (127), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Give students a simple puzzle (a word scramble, a math riddle, or a pattern). Before solving, ask them to write or say, "How do I plan to solve this?" Afterward, they reflect on what worked and what didn't. Set up a short activity, such as a reading passage or drawing task, and pause halfway to let students check in with themselves. They can answer quick prompts like "Is my mind wandering?" and "What can I do to refocus?" Students will begin to see how awareness affects performance. Have students create a set of colorful cards that teach strategies such as "Take a brain break," "Ask yourself questions," "Notice your emotions," and "Check your work." They can decorate, explain, and practice each strategy, then use their cards during class for future learning tasks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Habits of Mind - Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (146), problem solving (239), thinking routines (24), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Introduce one habit, such as Thinking Flexibly, and give students a quick scenario in which they choose among different ways to solve a problem. Have them vote and explain their choices. Give students cards with prompts like "A time I persisted today..." or "A moment I listened with understanding..." to build awareness of habits in real time. Set up stations tied to different habits, such as puzzles for persisting partner tasks for listening with understanding or creative challenges for thinking flexibly. Have students rotate and practice each habit as part of your ongoing classroom routines.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Metacognitive Strategies - CUNY Academic Commons
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
When debating during a Social Studies lesson, students can use Tricider, reviewed here. Students can use Snorkl, reviewed here to get feedback on an activity. Students can use the Interactive 2 Circle Venn Diagram by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here to create maps for science while making predictions and observations during an experiment.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Help Students Learn to Take Exams with Exam Wrappers - Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning
Grades
K to 12tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Students can create their own exam wrapper using Canva for Education, reviewed here. Students can use Lino, reviewed here to reflect after using an exam wrapper. Students can use the Infographics Presentation Templates, reviewed here to create a top five list as to why and how to use exam wrappers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How Metacognition Can Optimize Learning - Cult of Pedagogy
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Students can use mindmaps, reviewed here to create study resources. Students can use Google Drawing, reviewed here to create outlines and/or graphic organizers. Finally, students can use StoryMap JS, reviewed here to create story maps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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20 Metacognitive Questions That Will Get Students Thinking - New Teacher Coach
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (146), problem solving (239), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Students can use Stormboard, reviewed here to post their goal. Students can use Google Keep, reviewed here to help with deadlines for assignments and projects. Students can use Mentimeter, reviewed here as a reflection tool.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Metacognition in the Classroom: More Than Thinking About Thinking - Learning A to Z
Grades
K to 12tag(s): questioning (34), reading comprehension (141), summarizing (24), teaching strategies (59), thinking skills (57), visualizations (11)
In the Classroom
Students can use Canva for Education, reviewed here to create their goals. Students can use Mentimeter, reviewed here to make connections to a text. Students can post questions in Stickies.io, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Instagram in Class: Five Activities - Education World
Grades
5 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): digital storytelling (147), social media (57)
In the Classroom
Create a themed list (e.g., shapes in geometry, symbols in literature, examples of good citizenship), and have students find or draw images that represent each item. After reading a story, assign students to select or create photos to describe the setting, characters, conflict, and resolution. Post these on the class's Instagram account. In small groups, have students pose as historical figures in key moments from history (e.g., signing the Declaration of Independence). They can caption their photo with a first-person quote or journal entry.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Restorative Justice - Centre for Justice & Reconciliation
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): classroom management (107), collaboration (87), conflict resolution (11)
In the Classroom
Invite students to participate in a weekly circle where they respond to prompts on teamwork, empathy, or conflict resolution. Use circle guidelines from the website to help students practice respectful listening and speaking. Extend the practice of gratitude by having students anonymously post notes recognizing acts of kindness or helpful peer behavior. Present a classroom-appropriate scenario involving a disagreement. Have students work in small groups to role-play a restorative dialogue that focuses on acknowledging harm, expressing needs, and finding a collaborative solution.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Responsive Classroom - Center for Responsive Schools
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): classroom management (107), social and emotional learning (127), Teacher Utilities (175)
In the Classroom
Begin class with a simple greeting circle where each student greets the person next to them by name. Follow with a one-sentence share prompt such as "One thing I'm proud of from this week..." or "A curiosity I have today...." This builds community, warms up communication skills, and sets a positive tone for learning. Offer students two or three options for showing their understanding of a concept (for example: create a poster, write a paragraph, or build a model). Have students choose, plan, and complete their preferred task, then reflect on why they chose it, and use interactive modeling to teach it clearly. Students observe, practice, and reflect on what successful behavior looks and sounds like. This deepens understanding of expectations and reduces behavior disruptions. Choose a routine, like turning in assignments, transitioning to small groups, or using classroom materials, and use interactive modeling to teach it clearly. Have students observe, practice, and reflect on what successful behavior looks and sounds like. This deepens understanding of expectations and reduces behavior disruptions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Character Lab - Character Lab
Grades
K to 12tag(s): social and emotional learning (127)
In the Classroom
Choose any topic you're teaching and have students generate three "wonder questions." Invite them to share one with a partner, then select a few to guide class discussion. Give students small index cards and have them write or draw one thing they are grateful for that day. They should say something specific, not general (for example, "My friend helped me understand fractions" instead of "my friends"). Collect the cards and create a class gratitude wall. Set up three short challenge stations (puzzles, STEM building tasks, brainteasers). Have students rotate through each one and practice using perseverance strategies, such as breaking a task into smaller steps or trying a new approach. Afterward, they can reflect on which strategy helped them the most and how they can apply it in academic tasks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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It's Winter in the Northern Hemisphere! - ReadWriteThink
Grades
3 to 8In the Classroom
Start with a class brainstorming session where students list words, feelings, images, and sounds connected to winter. They can record ideas on sticky notes or a shared chart, just like the activity suggests, to build seasonal vocabulary. Have students design a "Winter in My World" postcard that includes an illustration on the front and a short message on the back describing a personal winter tradition or memory. Inspired by the website suggestion, have students brainstorm ideas for a new classroom tradition to celebrate the first day of winter. They can vote on one tradition, create posters announcing it, and write about why it represents the spirit of winter.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hour of Code - Code.org
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (219), coding (90), critical thinking (146), logic (152), problem solving (239), STEM (330)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to use during annual Hour of AI or Code activities and throughout the year as part of computer science instruction. Integrate coding activities into cross-curricular lessons, for example, by incorporating coding exercises that enable students to explore geometry and patterns within their math lessons. Integrate with science lessons to explore the scientific method or use coding activities to create interactive stories that bring student writing projects to life. Extend student learning by including activities and lessons from Hour of AI, reviewed here as part of your computer science curriculum. Share student projects on your class website or on a site such as Milanote, reviewed here to curate and share information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Two Truths & AI Game - Common Sense Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (219), digital literacy (24), game based learning (244)
In the Classroom
Share this game during the Hour of AI. Begin class with a "Two Truths and a Lie" icebreaker using everyday facts, then introduce the AI version from the website. Have students guess which statements might have been created by AI to start a discussion about how machines mimic human communication. Guide students to research examples of AI-generated content, such as news articles, art, or social media posts. In small groups, they can analyze clues that reveal when something might not be human-made and share their reasoning with the class. Challenge older students to write their own "Two Truths and an AI" statements using a classroom AI tool or generator such as Claude, reviewed here or ChatGPT, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Listening with Understanding and Empathy (Habit of the Mind) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Share these resources with your students to learn more about listening with understanding and empathy. Share a link to this collection on your school web page and in your school newsletter (or email). Find resources to incorporate into your lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Questioning and Posing Problems (Habit of the Mind) - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): questioning (34), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Help your students learn and practice questioning and posing questions. This list includes resources for all grades. Read each resource's Classroom Use section to learn ways to incorporate the information in your lessonsAdd your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Zero Thinking Routines - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): thinking routines (24), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Explore this collection to learn more about Thinking Routines and how to implement them in your lessons. Begin by selecting a routine that aligns with your learning objective--such as "See, Think, Wonder" for developing observation skills or "Think, Pair, Share" for collaborative processing--then model it explicitly before having students practice it regularly. As routines become familiar through repeated use, students internalize these cognitive frameworks and begin applying them independently, transforming your classroom into a culture where thoughtful inquiry and reflection become natural habits.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Flexible Thinking Activities - Life Skills Advocate, LLC
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): flexibility (5), perspective (24), problem solving (239), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Give students a puzzle or game that has more than one solution and challenge them to find at least two ways to solve it. Then, have them share how they chose those methods. After reading a poem or short story, have students write what a different character or stakeholder might think or do. Then discuss how shifting their viewpoint changed their understanding of the text. Have students identify a classroom or school routine or space (for example, recess line-up, library checkout, transitions) and redesign it using flexible thinking. Then have the students map out at least two alternative versions, predict outcomes, and present their designs and reasoning to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OER Commons- Thinking Flexibly - OER Commons
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (146), flexibility (5), perspective (24), problem solving (239), thinking skills (57)
In the Classroom
Start class with puzzles or riddles that can be solved in more than one way, encouraging students to explore different strategies and perspectives. In small groups, have students tackle an open-ended task, such as designing a classroom improvement plan or inventing a tool for everyday life, using creative and logical thinking to propose multiple solutions. Use an OER Commons lesson in science or math that asks students to approach a problem from more than one angle, emphasizing that flexibility strengthens understanding in all subjects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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