Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Making of a Monster
Over the course of a week, the class will study how monsters are portrayed throughout literature. But why? Monsters in science fiction or horror often depict the darker side of human nature; they are described for their horrific physical...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Performing Arts
The classical arts have made a lasting impact on our society and your advanced learners get to find out why. The activity starts as the children create a list of the arts found in society, they discuss how these art forms impact their...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Playing the Float
Got a rainy day and need a few fabulous activities to foster creative thinking skills? The class works to understand the three types of human power; direct, indirect, and stored. They do this by first creating a parade float like the...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Digging for Clues
Make critical and creative thinkers out of your class, with an archeology-based project they'll love. They start the activity by first researching what archeologists do, then they generate a list of the qualities archeologists need to be...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Made Up Math
Is there a way to connect creative thinking, logical reasoning, mathematical understanding, and humor? You bet there is! Kids begin by creating creative math quizzes, which require creative thinking to solve. For example, 1+1=24, one...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: GREAT TO COMMUNICATE
Humans love to communicate and they do it in so many different ways. The class investigates how people have used new inventions and technological innovations to communicate. They are divided into groups of three or four and given the...
Curated OER
My Mind is a Blank: Cellular Functions
In this my mind is a blank worksheet, fill in each blank with vocabulary terms that are related to cellular functions. Students also answer questions regarding the microscope.
The New York Times
Breathing With a Pinwheel
A pinwheel encourages deep breathing to calm one's body and recenter their thoughts. Scholars breathe into a personal pinwheel with different types of breathing patterns then answer a question about how they feel.
Health Smart Virginia
Emotions
A list of activities inspires self-awareness and mindfulness. Scholars practice identifying emotions and expressing their feelings while using their hands, mind, and social skills to complete tasks. Activities include story writing,...
California Department of Education
Tension and Release: Creating Mindful Harmony (CTE)
Perhaps the Doobie Brothers said it best when they sang, "Listen to the Music." With the third of four lessons from the Changing One's Tune: A Music Therapy STEM Integrated Project series, pupils discover the connection between music and...
University of California
Breathing Boards
Instill the importance of mindfulness with six breathing exercises. Scholars trace shapes using their fingers, following arrows that tell them when to breathe in and when to breathe out. Exercises increase by counts of breath in and out.
Thoughtful Learning
Using Progressive Relaxation
Stress makes a mess of our minds and bodies. Like a vicious circle, stress causes our bodies to tense and makes it more difficult to get rid of the stress. Break the cycle for you and your students by practicing progressive relaxation....
Health Smart Virginia
Social Emotional Skills
A list of activity ideas, lessons, and resource links all focus on kindness, empathy, and mindfulness. Five steps offer experience in role-play, crafts, writing, thoughtful discussions, and more!
Health Smart Virginia
Emotions
Five activity ideas begin a six-part series that looks closely at social-emotional competencies. Activities include ways to incorporate kindness, several lessons from Kids Health, a variety of mindfulness practices, scenario discussions,...
Curated OER
The Odyssey Lesson 6
"How are belief systems represented and reproduced through nature?" This essential question guides lesson 6 of this unit on The Odyssey (the rest of the unit is linked). Students first write about a scenario in which they are disguised,...
Curated OER
Body and Mind "Scapes"
Robert Harris' artwork is the focus of this interesting series. Each lesson plan examines his images of the land and the sea and leads into activities that center around geography and the environment. Pupils create pieces of music, and a...
Curated OER
One Room Many Minds
Here is a series of four lessons which explore the old one-room schoolhouses that were prevalent in days gone by. The lessons look into the economic, geographic, and cultural contributions that led to their building. Learners make...
Curated OER
Minding Your Body
Students explore the benefits of yoga and meditation by studying baseball players who incorporate them into their pre-season training. They investigate a variety of mind-body techniques and create a presentation for the class.
Growing Minds
Growing Minds: Cucumber Exploration
After reading a picture book about planting and harvesting cucumbers, learners get a chance to examine some cucumbers of their own. First, they see photographs of a cucumber on a vine, and learn that it is part of the gourd family. They...
Curated OER
Mind Your Pints and Quarts: Making Sense of Liquid Measurement
Elementary and middle schoolers identify different units of liquid measurement. They use the online Visual Thesaurus to learn about the relationships between units of liquid measurement.
Curated OER
Erase Neighborhood Hunger
Students research the varied causes of hunger and the effects malnutrition can have on people's bodies and minds. They brainstorm concrete steps they can take to help erase hunger and malnutrition. Students draw one or more ways that...
Curated OER
Point of View
Students explore point of view. In this acceptance lesson, students listen to a story in which six people didn't listen to the other's point of view and lost out in the end. The students discuss why we all think and feel differently and...
Scholastic
Mindful Listening
Teach your middle schoolers to use their ears to their highest potential! Pupils practice active listening skills and reflect on how careful listening might prove to be important in and out of the classroom.
National Woman's History Museum
Sacagawea
Mind maps are great tools. Teach your classes how to use mind maps to collect, organize, and retain information with a lesson that asks learners to research the life of Sacagawea and use mind maps to record their findings.