Elementary critical thinking math simulations

Critical Thinking, Social Studies - History, U.S. History

The Sinking of the Lusitania: Solve the WWI Mystery w Primary Source Analysis!

Created by

Inquire x Inspire

Perhaps one of the most important events of World War One, the sinking of the Lusitania has fascinated kids and adults for years. Use this mystery to harness that fascination and engage students in an inquiry-based mission that they will remember all year long!In this mystery, students are posed with an engaging scenario - they are CIA Agents that must piece together once and for all how and why the Lusitania sank. They are presented with a variety of "exhibits," all cleverly designed to engage

Subjects:

Grades:

5th - 12th

Types:

Projects, DBQs, Simulations

CCSS:

...

Also included in: GROWING WWI BUNDLE: Higher Order Thinking WWI Activities (SS5H2)

Oregon Trail: Simulation Game

Created by

VintageValdez

Super engaging slideshow game to get students thinking about what life on the Oregon Trail was like. You lead the class with 13 scenarios, and students make decisions and keep track of survival points. A great way to introduce the Oregon Trail to students. It includes 42 slides, directions, and a student handout to record survival points. I use this activity with my 8 graders a few details might need to be edited if used with younger grade levels.Takes about 1 hour.

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Social Studies - History

Grades:

3rd - 12th

Types:

Games, Simulations, Lesson

Also included in: Western Expansion Games Bundle: Oregon Trail, Gold Rush, Lewis and clark

Lunch Bunch Games | Friendship Escape Room

Created by

Carol Miller - Counseling Essentials

This Friendship Escape Room is the perfect challenge for upper elementary and middle school students to build teamwork and learn about positive friendship skills. This challenge is meant to be given in a shorter time span than other escape rooms and is perfect for those lunch time groups! Students are given the a scenario where there school is infected with Bully Fever and to release the antidote students need to work together to solve the challenges, release the keys and solve the secret co

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, For All Subjects, School Counseling

Grades:

3rd - 7th

Types:

Biology, Critical Thinking, Science

Also included in: Escape Room Counseling Bundle | Friendship Growth Mindset Career

CELLS CSI Investigation - Examining Plant and Animal Cells

Created by

iTeachSTEM

*TOP SELLING ITEM* In this lesson, students will be given a mystery to solve, based on their knowledge of cells. To solve the mystery, they need to know the major differences between plant and animal cells. Students apply their knowledge to a "real-life" scenario in which they must classify cells as plant or animal. Students will record their conclusions in a forensic lab report similar to one that could be used in court. This is an excellent activity for the end of a unit on plant and animal ce

Subjects:

Grades:

4th - 7th

Types:

Activities, Simulations, Lesson

Escape Room Solve the Mystery Challenge | Teamwork Activity | Breakout Game

Created by

Two Sharp Pencils

Bring the fun and excitement of a breakout room to your classroom! This cross curricular mystery challenge will have your students engaged, investigating and challenged from start to finish without the need of complicated locks or boxes. Students will work their way through 4 clues, each time they complete the clue challenge, they eliminate a suspect. You can use this as an introduction to teaching mysteries or a review day game!This is the PRINTABLE VERSION, the DIGITAL VERSION is available her

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, For All Subjects, Problem Solving

Grades:

3rd - 4th

Types:

Katelyn's Learning Studio

Also included in: Mystery Activities Bundle | Escape Room | Graphic Organizers | Early Finishers

Wants and Needs Sort - 1st grade Social Studies Needs vs Wants Activities

Created by

These interactive needs vs wants activities are perfect to teach your students about wants and needs, and to help them understand the consequences of choosing wants vs needs in real-life situations.PACKED with everything you need! Includes a lesson plan, simulation activity with teacher script, vocabulary aid, sorting activities, critical thinking worksheet, and writing activity.Description:This fun interactive activity sends students on an adventure simulation as they pack their backpacks with

Subjects:

Character Education, Critical Thinking, Social Studies - History

Grades:

K - 2nd

Types:

Activities, Simulations, Lesson

Back to School Escape Room | Team Building Activities | First Week of School

Created by

Two Sharp Pencils

Are you ready to kick off the new school year with a thrilling and collaborative experience for your students? Our Back-to-School Escape Room Team Building Activities will make the first week of school unforgettable as students work together to solve puzzles, decode challenges, and build lasting connections.This is the PRINTABLE VERSION, the DIGITAL VERSION is available here. Why Choose Our Back-to-School Escape Room Team Building Activities?Engaging and Interactive: The escape room format adds

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, For All Subjects, Problem Solving

Grades:

3rd - 4th

Types:

Teaching in the Tar Heel State

Also included in: Escape Room Challenge Bundle | Breakout Games | Teamwork Challenges

Minecraft Area and Perimeter Project Based Learning 4.MD.3 3.MD.8

Created by

4.MD.3 - Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real world and mathematical problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an unknown factor. Students will plan and design the blueprint for a Minecraft village. They are also given the area or perimeter for some buildings, and will be required to figure out length and width. Use the project with basic grid

Subjects:

Geometry, Math, Measurement

Grades:

3rd - 6th

Types:

Critical Thinking, Reading, Science

Mock Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Classroom Mystery/Detective Simulation Game

Created by

Brenda Kovich

Stage a mock crime scene investigation in your classroom! Kids solve the mystery through observation and science labs. They study crime scene photos, gather clues, analyze fingerprints, and experiment with powders and chromatography. Students love participating in this forensic science simulation - and cracking the case!Open the preview to take a closer look at the game-like project. The crime scene and detective activities are laid out for you. With a few common household items (such as pens, p

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 5th

Types:

Core Inspiration by Laura Santos

Also included in: 5-Week Mystery Unit - Fun Detective Genre Study for Fourth and Fifth Grade

Measure-Thon - Measurement Project Based Learning

Created by

This math simulation is the perfect culminating activity and alternative assessment to measure your students’ understanding of second grade length measurement concepts. During the Measure-Thon math simulation, your students (AKA Mathletes) will compete in four measuring events. They will test their physical strength as they blow, kick, flick and toss a small puff ball through the air, and their mental power as they measure the distance their puff ball travels using centimeters, inches and feet.

Subjects:

Math, Measurement

Grades:

2nd

Types:

Applied Math, Government, U.S. History

CCSS:

...

Also included in: Measurement Math Enrichment Bundle for Second Grade

Electoral College Activity - PPT/Notes/Super Fun Competition! - Paper & Digital

Created by

Surviving Social Studies

Looking for a great bell ringer activity to start class each day?Full Year of Writing/Discussion Prompts - 180 Bell RingersGet ready for the 2024 election with your students!! Used in over 2,500 classrooms, this is the most fun your students will have learning about the Electoral College! I have used this Electoral College activity over and over throughout my two decades in the classroom, and it has always been a hit; especially on an election year! [For the Google Drive version click here].

Subjects:

Grades:

5th - 8th

Types:

Core Inspiration by Laura Santos

Also included in: Bundle: What is the Electoral College? Voting with Mystery Candidates

Valentine's Day Math Project | Conversation Hearts Graphing Lesson & Activity

Created by

This Valentine's Day-themed math project introduces your students to four methods for displaying data: Frequency TablesBar GraphsPictographsLine Plots Your students will record observations about each method for displaying data and compare/contrast methods for collecting data. Students will then use this knowledge to solve a problem for Val’s Heart Factory. Love this project idea, but planning to teach graphing at a different time of year? Sal's Sweet Factory will be a perfect fit for your class

Subjects:

Graphing, Valentine's Day, Word Problems

Grades:

2nd - 3rd

Types:

Fractions, Math, Word Problems

CCSS:

2.MD.D.10

, 3.MD.B.3

Also included in: 2nd & 3rd Grade Math Project Based Learning (PBL) - 6 Real World Projects

Equivalent Fractions in the Real World - Fun Enrichment Activity for Students

Created by

Beyond Traditional Math

Fractions (and especially fraction equivalence) are always so abstract, until you connect them to the real world -like cooking! This is such a fun way to explore equivalent fractions. This resource will help students think critically about equivalent fractions.Recipe Disasters will strengthen your student's skills with benchmark and equivalent fractions with real world problem solving! Students are given a problem page with lots of reading that includes a recipe, and then a problem to solve. Th

Subjects:

Grades:

3rd - 4th

Types:

Projects, Activities, Simulations

CCSS:

...

Credit Card Simulation

Created by

Classroom on a Cart

Included in this product you will find a credit card simulation activity that requires students to choose between three different furniture store credit cards (all with different interest rates and special deals). After they choose a credit card and fill out an application, they will practice calculating monthly interest, minimum payments, and remaining balance on a well organized chart that is provided for them. Next, they will use an Excel Spreadsheet (included) to do those same calculations a

Subjects:

Life Skills, Other (Math), Special Education

Grades:

5th - 12th

Types:

Activities, Printables, Simulations

Disney World Virtual Field Trip for Grades 1-4 || Google Classroom Ready

Created by

Planting Little Seeds

PERFECT for early finishers, supply teacher days, or use during distance learning. This is a great activity for students to work on "little bits at a time" and come back to when they're finished with their other work. The file lives in their Google Drive, so can be accessed at any time!Take your kids to the happiest place on Earth! This Disney World Virtual Field Trip is designed for use in Google Classroom. Students need to have their own Google logins in order to be able to work with the proje

Subjects:

English Language Arts, Math

Grades:

1st - 4th

Types:

Critical Thinking, Economics , Gifted and Talented

Also included in: Virtual Field Trips for Primary Students: Bundle

Gifted and Talented - Living on Your Own: Lessons in Financial Responsibility

Created by

Learning Highway

Challenge your gifted and talented to play the “game of life” and survive financially during their first year in college. This concept-based unit allows students to “earn” an inheritance from a distant relative by repurposing items from a barn. With this “money,” students find affordable housing, transportation, furnishings, and other essentials. Then the “game of life begins with monthly reoccurring expenses, opportunities to buy additional necessities and/or wants, as well as challenges or o

Subjects:

Grades:

5th - 8th

Types:

Thematic Unit Plans, GATE, Simulations

Football Escape Room Mystery Challenge | Breakout Game | Teamwork Activity

Created by

Two Sharp Pencils

Bring the fun and excitement of a breakout room to your classroom! This cross curricular mystery challenge will have your students engaged, investigating and challenged from start to finish without the need of complicated locks or boxes. Students will work their way through 4 clues, each time they complete the clue challenge, they eliminate a suspect. You can use this as an introduction to teaching mysteries or a review day game! This football themed mystery works great in the fall during footba

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, For All Subjects, Problem Solving

Grades:

3rd - 4th

Types:

Computer Science - Technology, Math, Robotics

Also included in: Escape Room Challenge Bundle | Breakout Games | Teamwork Challenges

Coding with Robots - Pirate Treasure Hunt for Bee-Bot, Code & Go Mouse, Dash

Created by

That Tech Chick

This activity is a fun way to introduce coding with the Bee-Bot, Code and Go Mouse Robots, Dash and Dot and others and reinforce learning about algorithms! It is easily adaptable and differentiated so Kindergarten through the upper elementary grades can learn coding and simple algorithms by selecting a picture task card and finding it on their mat! Younger students will learn to code the robot to go forward, backward, turn right and left, while older students can use their skills to explore new

Subjects:

Grades:

K - 5th

Types:

Critical Thinking, Forensics, Gifted and Talented

Also included in: Coding & Robotics Big Bundle - Bee-Bot, Code & Go Mouse

Gifted Crime Scene Investigation Activity The Case of the Missing Cash

Created by

KJS Creative Curriculum

This highly engaging crime scene investigation activity will have your students using their critical thinking skills as they critically read and analyze witness testimonies, view and evaluate evidence, and draw inferences to determine the motive and identity of the person guilty of robbing a bank. Higher-level thinking skills will be practiced while investigating the crime scene, as students form a hypothesis about who committed the crime, establish a motive, and then justify their hypothesis b

Subjects:

Grades:

5th - 8th

Types:

Activities, GATE, Simulations

Fraction Hospital Skill Building Activity & Classroom Transformation

Created by

Third Degree LEARN

This is a fun, engaging way for your students to apply and practice their learning about fractions! Skills used:Identifying fractions (<1)Fractions (<1 and >1) on a number lineMatching different fraction forms (numbers, number line, part of a set)Word problemsTurn this into a HIGHLY engaging classroom transformation with hospital gowns, gloves, masks, and hair nets!The product includes…Student work packets12 surgery cardsStudents locate fractions on the number line by performing “stitch

Subjects:

Basic Operations, Fractions, Word Problems

Grades:

3rd

Types:

Middle School Earth Science

CCSS:

Ocean Floor Mapping Battleship Game

Created by

Teacher Review: "My students are obsessed with this activity! They even ask to play during indoor recess!" - Turner's Teaching Troop (January 22, 2020)Ocean Floor Mapping Battleship includes 36 unique maps of the ocean floor, a recording sheet, a detailed lesson plan with suggested pre-game activities, a blank map students can use to draw their own ocean floor, a diagram showing the layers of the ocean, and easy to follow game instructions. Field tested with sixth-graders, this game challenges s

Subjects:

Earth Sciences, Environment, Graphing

Grades:

5th - 9th

Types:

Activities, Games, Simulations

CCSS:

5.G.A.1

Also included in: Earth Science Games Bundle

Design a Zoo: A Digital Project Based Learning Experience

Created by

PBL Learning Lab

Thanks for choosing this project based learning experience for your students! They are sure to have fun, be creative, and learn some valuable skills. In Design a Zoo, students take on the role of a design consultant asked to create a new zoo. Students will need to: –Name the Zoo –Create a welcoming sign –Select the animals –Design animal habitats –Create information sheets –Create a budget –And present their work to a "Board of Directors" This experience is designed to be completed without sub

Subjects:

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Science

Grades:

3rd - 8th

Types: