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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

"I'm Done...Now What?"...Brain Boxes to the Rescue





Several years ago, tired of trying to find things for my early finishers (and as the teacher of the gifted cluster I have LOTS of early finishers!) I began using Brain Boxes. 

What are Brain Boxes?

Each numbered box contains an activity that is engaging, creative and sometimes challenging!  The activities are seasonal and review concepts in ELA and Math and challenge students to think creatively! When students complete an assignment they can grab a Brain Box from the bucket.  They record the number of the box on their recording sheet and then follow the directions on the activity card and record their thinking on the paper. 


How to make your Brain Boxes

 I purchased the bucket and the small containers at my local Dollar Tree.  The containers came in packs of 10 (which is perfect since there are 30 activities for each month).  So the total cost of the bucket and containers was $4 and change…can’t beat that!  I used my Silhouette machine and some vinyl to cut the “Brain Boxes,” label and all of the numbers.  You don’t need a fancy machine to set it all up though…my old set up that I made about 6 years ago had boxes that were numbered with different colored Sharpies and it worked just fine!  I printed a label for the bucket on my computer and used mod podge to adhere it to the bucket. 




So, are you ready to check out Brain Boxes and see what they’re all about?  You can try the August {Back to School} Brain boxes for FREE.  If you love them like my kiddos and I do you can grab the year long bundle HERE!


I hope that Brain Boxes can help you put an end to the “I’m Done…Now What?” struggle!

1 comment:

  1. I love this idea! I'd love to know...what do you have students do with their completed brain box sheet?

    ReplyDelete