CRITICAL THINKING
Renzulli's Weekly Activities
K-2
Art, Activism, and Physical Disabilities – Projects& Independent Study
How accessible are your school’s building and events to people in wheelchairs or those with vision or hearing impairments? Learn about disabilities, accessibility, and ableism. Find out how one artist changed the “wheelchair accessible” icon to challenge stereotypes. Then work with a classmate to create your own poster or skit to raise awareness.
Art, Activism, and Physical Disabilities
Awesome Upstander – Online Activities
Run, jump, dodge, and duck through school so you can be an awesome UPSTANDER and stand up to bullying with this video from Go Noodle!
Design an Earth-Friendly Birdhouse – Projects& Independent Study
Can you use waste or recycled materials to create a home for a small bird? Your birdhouse should include perches and a door, and it must be safe from cats and squirrels. Read the full instructions before you set to work.
3-5
25 Ways to Save Water At Home – Websites
Did you know that most people in North America use 50 to 70 gallons of water indoors each day. Seventy-five percent of that indoor water usage occurs in the bathroom! That is a lot of water each day! This resource has some amazing tips and tricks for conserving water. Do you have any other ideas how your community can impact water usage?
Bringing China and Africa Together to Save Elephants – Videos & Podcasts
Elephant poaching is a tough issue to solve. Conservationist and 2016 National Geographic Emerging Explorer Gao Yufang is approaching the problem from a different angle: encouraging cross-cultural communication, bringing Chinese and Africans together to try to understand each other’s viewpoints regarding the elephant ivory trade.
6-9
A Shorter Walk to Water – Projects & Independent Study
Have you read “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park? Read about how one middle school was inspired by this book to raise more than $15,000 to provide an African Village with a well. What could your school do as a service project?
Adventures in Engineering – Websites
What comes to your mind when you hear the word, engineer? Kristen Hart thinks, “Adventure!” At this site she will explain how she became an air management engineer, and how she tries to protect the air from pollution. Learn about other environmental engineers, and how you can prepare for a career as one. Click the link to begin your adventures in engineering!
Analyzing Dive Data – Critical Thinking
Scuba divers who explore the coral reefs near Belize keep a careful count of animal species. Study a table that presents their findings, and see what inferences and predictions you can make. Do you see any problems that need solving? Can you come up with a solution?