The Resiliency Thought Bubbles project provides an opportunity for students to
demonstrate their knowledge of Microsoft Word. The assignment requires students to
use critical thinking and creativity in writing their own original idea that demonstrates
both Fixed Mindset and Resiliency. Students were shown a series of videos that
demonstrate the meaning of Resiliency then challenged to use critical thinking when
they wrote their own examples. Finally, I selected one student example from each of my
six PAA Multimedia classes and created a bulletin board display; the display includes a
Brain illustration that was a collaborative and creative endeavor between a grade ten
student and a grade twelve student.

Science Online offers a comprehensive overview of a broad range of scientific disciplines. This resource includes eLearning modules, teacher support materials, diagrams, interactive science experiments and more.This resource is primarily designed for high school students but there is some content appropriate for Grade 6 - Grade 8 students.

This website is excellent. It contains rich and diverse high-quality resources directed towards teachers and learners. Activities and guides can be self-paced/self-directed by the learner, or facilitated with adults. Material encourages critical thinking, and learning across subjects (ex: integrating learning new vocabulary into math activities).

Resources available across subjects, searchable by grade level, subject, and domain within each subject (ex: fractions within mathematics).

Materials for early childhood and grades K-12. Freely available.

ScratchJr is an app that is available through Apple (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id895485086?ign-mpt=uo%3D4) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.scratchjr.android).

With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games.

By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.

Slow Reveal Graph (#slowrevealgraph) is an instructional routine that promotes sensemaking about data. This highly engaging routine uses scaffolded visuals and discourse to help students (in K-12 and beyond) make sense of data. As more and more of the graph is revealed, students refine their interpretation and construct meaning, often in surprising ways. This routine increases access for students without sacrificing rigor or engagement.

You will find all types of graphs for all ages of learners from elementary to high school.

Here are the steps:
- It starts with a graph that has been stripped of context: its numbers, its labels, its title.
- The teacher facilitates a discussion around what students notice and wonder. (The slides give discussion suggestions)
- Then another slide is revealed.
- Students identify what information is new.
- Then another slide is revealed.
- Again, students identify what information is new (the title) and discuss how this changes their understanding of the graph.
- As more slides are added, more insight into this data representation is revealed.

The introductory page for the graph also offers more information about the context for this graph, other content connections, and paired texts for students to explore.

The Smithsonian Learning Lab puts the treasures of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex within reach. The Lab is a free, interactive platform for discovering millions of authentic digital resources, creating content with online tools, and sharing in the Smithsonian's expansive community of knowledge and learning.

Use the search tool to discover lots of resources on endless topics. The sky's the limit!

Folkfest is an annual event linked to curricular outcomes for Grade 6. Goals are to improve and refine Folkfest components with the use of “Student Showcase” and various professional development opportunities. Students will be guided into various uses of technology to display and showcase their projects.

This is a series of toolkits for older students.

The toolkits allow students to explore a topic, watch videos on the content, and apply what they learn.

Topics include:
Interacting with profs, library skills, managing your time, preparing for exams, presentation skills, reading textbooks, taking notes, thinking critically, working in groups, and writing.

In building birdhouses, students needed to think critically and problem solve how they were to construct them. Students were given a choice to look at an exemplar (a birdhouse I already constructed) or plans that provided written and schematic instructions. As students built their birdhouses I would ask a variety of open, guided questions (based on Blooms Taxonomy) to engage their critical thinking. I wanted students to think about the process they were using to build their bird houses and the techniques they were employing in their construction. I wanted students to reflect and question themselves to see if they could improve upon what they were doing.

A suite of resources, including videos, a teachers guide and lessons plans developed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association to engage young people in discussions about the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

That’s Not Fair! is a series developed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust to invite kids, ages 7 to 11, to think critically about what it means to live in a democracy.

This amazing toolbox organizes Thinking Routines into categories.

When you open a routine, go to the section for Resource Links to access an explanation/lesson on how to use this tool.

Tools or strategies are divided into these categories (a few examples are listed but there are many more):
*Core thinking routines (E.g., See, think, wonder, What makes you say that?)
*Digging Deeper Into Ideas (E.g., Outside in, Layers, Fact or fiction?)
*Introducing and exploring ideas (Lenses, Step in - step out - step back)
*Objects and systems (Creative hunt, Parts-people-interactions)
*Perspective taking (Options explosion, True for who?)
*Perspectives, controversies and Dilemmas (Tug for truth, Sticking points, 4Cs)
*Possibilities and analogies (3-2-1 bridge, Creative quesitons)
*Synthesizing and Organizing Ideas (+1 Routine, Take note, Headlines)
*With Art or Objects (Creative comparisons, Looking: 10x2, Thinking with images)

Third-grade math instruction is focused on the following areas: developing an understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100; developing an understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1); developing an understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area; describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes.

The best way to ensure your students fully grasp the math concepts they'll need to successfully progress in their education is to practice as much as possible. The worksheets, puzzles, games, and other resources available here are the perfect solution for parents and teachers who want to provide their third graders with the tools they need to understand and excel in third-grade math.

An excellent resource from the Eastern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative. This resource includes an in-depth simulation to place students into the “shoes” of those living in poverty. “This unit will help engage students to actively explore international trade, development and co-operation issues as they pertain to Canada, its trading partners, and the fair trade system.”

A great non-fiction news site with a wide variety of articles written at differentiated Lexile levels.

There are daily quizzes and immediate feedback for students.

The site offers several resources, links and tips for teachers. The critical thinking prompts at the end of each article help spark student discussions and response or reflection opportunities.

Articles are divided into K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and High School.

This resource effectively illustrates the ways in which animals are important to the health and future of the planet. Four lessons demonstrate how human activities, including those related to climate change can result in habitat fragmentation and threaten the viability of entire ecosystems. The resource includes a teacher's guide, background information, student activity pages, videos and extension ideas for individual, group and community action.

Activity One: What’s your View? (1 x 60 minutes)

Teachers set up a 'four corners' activity in which students read a variety of statements concerning animal welfare and decide if they agree or disagree. The class then discusses as a group the importance of animals in sustaining healthy ecosystems and the value of their relationships with humans.

Activity Two: Video (1 x 60 minutes)

Students watch a video called “Why Animals Matter” and complete a short quiz to check their understanding of key concepts raised in the video. A discussion follows on what can be done to make the world a better place for animals. Suggestions for extension activities are included.

Activity Three: Eco-investigation (3 x 60 minutes)

Students go outside to study local biodiversity. Working in groups, they select a 2m square sample site near the school yard and determine the variety of plant, fungi and animal life found. The inventory includes the abiotic characteristics of soil, rocks, water sources as well as any evidence of human disturbance. Students are also asked to take notice of the resources that species need to survive (food, water, cover and space) and how humans have impacted these resources.

Activity Four: Understanding Habitat (3 X 60 minutes)

After a discussion on the inter-dependency of the four core elements of a habitat, the class is invited to brainstorm ideas as to the causes and effects of habitat fragmentation and the importance of wildlife corridors. Students then review a newspaper article describing how habitat fragmentation due to road construction in parts of India has impacted elephant populations. Four groups of students take on the role of stakeholders in a wildlife corridor project for the benefit of these elephants. Groups must develop a persuasive statement to reflect their point of view. Peer evaluation and class discussion follow.

An extension activity suggests students research the habitat requirements of a wild animal, how these needs can be threatened by human disturbance and what solutions should be considered.

This resource is made for grade 2 but could be adapted to any grade and any subject.
I wanted the students to know how important the skill of critical thinking is in all areas of study and of life. I developed this lesson and put it in the introductory section of our Distance Moodle course for Grade 2. It is self-contained and could be done in any class, at any time of year.
Throughout the lessons the student will see the critical thinking icon and make the connection.

A quick introduction to the metacognition cycle and how it wraps around the learning our students do. (At Sun West - for more information on metacognition reach out to your PeBL Mentor or a Learning Consultant.)

This YouTube Video explores metacognition and the metacognition cycle, which includes:
1. Assess the task/develop a clear picture
2. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses
3. Plan the approach
4. Apply strategies/monitor progress
5. Reflect/adjust approach

Summary: This year I developed 21st Century Competencies through Critical Thinking, Creativity and Collaboration using the Grade 6 Science outcomes on the Diversity of Living Things and PAA Woodworking. The students prepared a poster on a bird of their choice, they gave an oral presentation on their bird, they drew sketches of a bird house, constructed and painted their houses.