Skip to main content
District

Teacher Resources

Teacher Resources

  • MATH

    Math Wire Problem-Solving Grades K-2: Standards Based problem-solving activities for students in Grades K-2

    Math Wire Enrichment: Tons of ideas!

    Open middle-grade: Grade level and standards-based deep, challenging problems, often with multiple correct answers. Lead to great discussions about mathematical thinking.

    NRICH: Math Activities for Ages 3-5. Activities on number sense, shapes, space, and measurement for high achieving and gifted Kindergartners. These would be great if the teacher wanted to pull a high group to do a math activity with, as it needs teacher instruction and interaction.

    Esti-Mysteries: Estimating mystery slideshows, four challenge levels that span grades K-12, fun images, and clues to get kids thinking! Steve Wyborney also has some other excellent, free math-related resources below.

    Which One Doesn't Belong?: A website providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. No answers are provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!

    READING

    NOVEL CONVERSATIONS: Almost 60 pages of books with gifted characters. Most have an interest level (IL), a Lexile, and a brief description.

    High Reading Level, Low Maturity Level List: Extensive book list; click the tabs at the bottom to get a more narrow grade level.

    Reading Continuum: Provides a progression of skills for readers to help assess below, on, and above grade-level reading.

    WRITING

    Writing Continuum: Evaluate where students are on continuums involving organization, ideas, voice, word choice, fluency, and grammar/conventions.

    Writing Strategies Menu:Once you determine student goals from the continuum, try some strategies for improving writing in the above areas. Allows students to have choice and creativity and use exciting strategies to improve writing.

  • MATH

    3rd Grade Math Enrichment

    4th Grade Math Enrichment

    Math Enrichment Topics: Tons of ideas!

    Problem Solving Grades 3-4 Standards-based problem-solving activities for students in Grades 3 & 4

    Problem-Solving Grades 5-8: Standards-Based problem-solving activities for students in Grades 5 - 8

    Open middle-grade: Grade level and standards-based deep, challenging problems, often with multiple correct answers. Lead to great discussions about mathematical thinking.

    Problem of the Week: Designed to provide students with an ongoing opportunity to solve mathematical problems. Each week, problems from various areas of mathematics will be posted here and e-mailed to teachers for use with their students from grades three and up.

    NRICH: Covers almost every math topic with exciting problems that get kids thinking. I suggest stage 2 for the third-grade gifted and stage 2 or 3 for the fourth- and fifth grades. You can start with a 1-star challenge level and work students up to 2 or 3-star problems or choose a topic.

    Art of Problem SolvingAlcumus offers students a customized learning experience, adjusting to student performance to deliver appropriate problems and lessons. Alcumus is designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities.

    Grade 5+

    Esti-Mysteries: Estimating mystery slideshows, four challenge levels that span grades K-12, fun images, and clues to get kids thinking! Steve Wyborney also has some other excellent, free math-related resources below.

    Which One Doesn't Belong?: A website providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. No answers are provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!

    Resrouces to Increase Rigor in Math Instructions:

    READING

    NOVEL CONVERSATIONS: Almost 60 pages of books with gifted characters. Most have an interest level (IL), a Lexile, and a brief description.

    High Reading Level, Low Maturity Level List: Extensive book list; click the tabs at the bottom to get a more narrow grade level.

    Reading Continuum: Provides a progression of skills for readers to help assess below, on, and above grade-level reading.

    CommonLit: A free collection of fiction and nonfiction for 3rd-12th grade classrooms. The group can be searched and filtered by Lexile level, grade, theme, genre, literary device, or Common Core Standard. Each reading can be downloaded or read online. There are guiding questions and activities. My favorite feature is the recommendations for book pairings.

    WRITING

    Writing Continuum: Evaluate where students are on continuums involving organization, ideas, voice, word choice, fluency, and grammar/conventions.

    Writing Strategies MenuOnce you determine student goals from the continuum, try some strategies for improving writing in the above areas. Allows students to choose creativity and use exciting systems to improve writing.

    Poetry Example (students can choose 1/3 options). Grade 5+

    Independent Writing Projects: This example has lessons on starting a great story, creating a compelling character, a page-turning plot, and an immersive setting.

  • MATH

    Open middle-grade: Grade level and standards-based deep, challenging problems, often with multiple correct answers. Lead to great discussions about mathematical thinking.

    Problem of the Week: Designed to provide students with an ongoing opportunity to solve mathematical problems. Each week, problems from various areas of mathematics will be posted here and e-mailed to teachers for use with their students.

    NRICH: Covers almost every math topic with exciting problems that get kids thinking. I suggest stage 3 or 4 for sixth-grade gifted and stage 4 or 5 for seventh and eighth-grade gifted. You can start with a 1-star challenge level and work students up to 2 or 3-star problems or choose a topic.

    Art of Problem SolvingAlcumus offers students a customized learning experience, adjusting to student performance to deliver appropriate problems and lessons. Alcumus is designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities.

    Esti-MysteriesEstimating mystery slideshows, four challenge levels that span grades K-12, fun images, and clues to get kids thinking! Steve Wyborney also has some other excellent, free math-related resources below.

    Which One Doesn't Belong?: A website providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. No answers are provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!

    READING

    NOVEL CONVERSATIONS: Almost 60 pages of books with gifted characters. Most have an interest level (IL), a Lexile, and a brief description.

    High Reading Level, Low Maturity Level List: Extensive book list; click the tabs at the bottom to get a more narrow grade level.

    Mensa Excellence in Reading Grade 7-8 List: A list compiled by Mensa. Students can earn a certificate and a T-shirt if they read all the books.

    CommonLit: A free collection of fiction and nonfiction for 3rd-12th grade classrooms. The group can be searched and filtered by Lexile level, grade, theme, genre, literary device, or Common Core Standard. Each reading can be downloaded or read online. There are guiding questions and activities. My favorite feature is the recommendations for book pairings.

    WRITING

    Writing Continuum: Evaluate where students are on continuums involving organization, ideas, voice, word choice, fluency, and grammar/conventions.

    Poetry Example (students can choose 1/3 options). Grade 5+

    Independent Writing Projects: This example has lessons on starting a great story, creating a compelling character, a page-turning plot, and an immersive setting.
  • K-12 ADVANCED LEARNING LABS: Duke TIP recently teamed up with the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) to create classroom resources ready to use with students. Advanced Learning Labs are aligned to a concept to use during remote instruction with your students. You can use each Advanced Learning Lab as an extension, find a picture to accelerate or enrich a unit you already teach. With each Advanced Learning Lab, students explore logic puzzles, go on field studies, research explorations, participate in mindfulness activities, and continue engaging with math and literacy -- all through remote learning.

    Big History Project: Examines our past, explains our present, and imagines our future. It's a story about us. This growing, multi-disciplinary approach is focused on high school students yet designed for anyone seeking answers to the big questions about the history of our Universe.

    Brain CraftVanessa Hill is your neighborhood science educator and psychology specialist. On BrainCraft, she makes videos about your brain, body, and behavior to help you better understand yourself and the world. Her mission is to empower you with evidence-based information to enrich your everyday life – to boost well-being, strengthen relationships, and increase productivity.

    CommonLit: A free collection of fiction and nonfiction for 3rd-12th grade classrooms. The group can be searched and filtered by Lexile level, grade, theme, genre, literary device, or Common Core Standard. Each reading can be downloaded or read online. There are guiding questions and activities. My favorite feature is the recommendations for book pairings.

    ​​​​​​​HippoCampus.org: A free, core academic website that delivers rich multimedia content--videos, animations, and simulations--on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers, college professors, and their students, free of charge. The site collects a wide range of content resources from other sites and organizes them in a central location that can be browsed by subject area.