Math Problem Solving

The Problem Solving Math Kit is comprised of 11 challenging activities of varying difficulty, which can be solved individually, or in small groups. Each of the activities has detailed instructions, as well as the necessary manipulatives/materials. The Math Problem Kit focuses on 3 main skill areas: (1) Problem Solving, (2) Social Skills, and (3) Communication. Most of the activities address all three of the skill areas.

Case of the Cookie Caper

The Case of the Cookie Caper allows students to play the role of the “detective” to solve a mystery using creative thinking skills. Students work through each of the six lessons to methodically eliminate suspects and eventually find the culprit. The activities enhance a variety of skills, including fingerprint analysis, handwriting analysis, and the interpretation and corroboration of alibis, etc. The kit includes the necessary lessons, overheads, and lessons.

Reader's Theatre

Reader's Theatre is “minimal” theatre in support of reading and literature. It has the following attributes that sets it apart from traditional theatre productions: no full memorization, no full costumes, and no full stage sets. Kids love to do it, and since the scripts are based on books, they want to read the stories as well. This kit includes the scripts for Clever Lucy, Moira's Birthday, The Fish Tank, and A Usual Day At School. Also included are the props you will need.

The Private Eye

The Private Eye focuses on the three diverse (but interconnected) themes of writing, creativity, and scientific literacy. It is based on a four-part process that invites the student to use a jewelers' loupe to explore the world to become an inventor, collaborator, and traveler. This process of inquiry contains all the steps inherent in the scientific method: thinking of analogies, writing analogies, drawing through observation, and theorizing/hypothesizing). The kits includes all the lesson plans and materials you will need, including overheads, a video, jewelers' loupes, and a collection of shells, fossils, dried plants, driftwood, etc.

Inventions

The Inventions Kit is ideal for students in grades 4-7. It in includes 8 invention-centered activities, each of which taps into students' higher level thinking, problem solving skills, creativity, and knowledge of the Scientific Method. Students can either work in groups, or individually. The kit comes with lesson plans, assessment tools, and all of the materials your students will need to complete the activities.

Patterns

This kit studies the patterns of Mandalas (primarily from India), Kente cloth (Ghana), Quilts (North American), and Tartans (Scotland) to appreciate the symbolic aspect of patterns and how a society's history or beliefs can be expressed in the patterns they use. In addition to art activities, students are provided with materials to explore pattern from a mathematical perspective (i.e. geometry). This kit comes with the necessary lesson plans and materials.

Cartoons R Us

Cartoon R Us is an enrichment kit dedicated to cartooning. Using this kit, students will have the opportunity to create simple and more complex cartoons, as well comic strips, animations, etc. The activities in this kit will allow students to tap into their higher level thinking, synthesize ideas and cartooning techniques, and evaluate professionally drawn cartoons. The kit comes with the materials and activity ideas you will need to get your students started on their own creations.

Environment and Intelligence

Environment and Intelligence is a cross-curricular enrichment kit, based on the overall theme of “environmental studies.” Comprised of seven activities, the kit delves into topics ranging from multiple intelligences to developing urban awareness, as well as mapping, recycling, and environmental issues. This kit comes with the necessary lesson plans, overheads, and materials.

CSI

CSI is an enrichment kit that serves as an introduction to forensic science. Working in small groups, students will assume the role of forensic scientists and use various methods to analyze a number of clues from a crime scene. Based on this analysis, they will identify one of the suspects as the thief of a very rare diamond. Lesson plans, worksheet, and materials are included in the kit.

Bubble-Ology

Bubble-Ology is a unit that teaches students about the wonderful world of bubbles by means of a variety of activities that promote higher level thinking, the use of processes (i.e. estimation and the Scientific Method), creative thinking, and art. The kit also includes lesson plans, worksheets, and a wide variety of materials that will be needed for the experiments.

It's All An Act

It's All An Act is a drama-based kit that emphasizes spontaneous problem solving, creative thinking, and collaboration. The kit includes 3 sets of cards: problem, plot, and prop. Students work in groups of 2-6, and select one random card from each of the 3 card sets to create a skit – the results are often hilarious. Props and teacher/student self evaluation forms are included with the kit.  

Odyssey of the Mind – Spontaneous Problems 

The “Odyssey of the Mind – Spontaneous Problems” kit includes a variety of hands-on and verbal spontaneous problems. The activity guides and most of the materials you will need are included in the kit, although some items that are readily included in the classroom are not.