Boost Critical Thinking in the Classroom: 5 Creative Ways to Use Jumbo Hexagonal Thinking Cards in the Classroom

JUMBO hexagonal cards are my new favorite tool in the classroom! My 6th and 7th and 8th graders LOVE them!

A few months ago I was inspired to create a bulletin board display using jumbo hexagonal cards. I got so much positive feedback from students and staff, I decided to create another one but tweak it a little. I decided to laminate my cards and stick magnetic tape to the back of my cards and use my large whiteboard as a display area.

Civics Jumbo Hexagonal Cards

Earth Day Jumbo Cards

Unsurprisingly, my middle schoolers were both curious about the cards and eager to manipulate them. Fantastic! It's always exciting to witness students eager to engage with the material, especially when deeper-level thinking skills are being employed.

If you are unfamiliar with how hexagonal thinking works, here is a brief overview. Hexagonal Thinking is a visual tool to help students make connections and organize ideas on a topic. In addition, hexagonal thinking promotes deep thinking about a topic as students both organize content into categories and build connections between different ideas. Students work alone or in small groups to create clusters using their hexagonal cards. Each card contains a vocabulary word, concept, date, image (or anything you would like!). Each card must relate or connect to the cards surrounding it. Each cluster will look different and that is okay!

Historical Thinking Jumbo Cards

I use hexagonal thinking activities in my classroom often. I use both small cards and jumbo-sized cards. I use digital cards. I use hexagonal thinking activities as a review and summative assessment. I've even incorporated hexagonal thinking activities into lessons (just to get the kids moving and collaborating!). If I use a hexagonal thinking activity as a formal assessment, I incorporate a writing component (I have written more about how I do this in past blog posts. Click here and here.)

Back to JUMBO cards! My students ask me every day if we are going to use the cards in class. I've decided to tap into this enthusiasm by creating additional sets of jumbo cards for each unit.

5 Easy Ways to Incorporate Jumbo Hexagonal Cards in Your Classroom:

Collaborative Learning: Use the cards to encourage collaboration and group work. Have students work together to sort and organize the cards to identify patterns and connections, and to present their findings to the class.
Use the jumbo hexagonal thinking cards to create a visual map of different geographic regions or historical events. Students can use the cards to organize the information and identify patterns or connections between different events or regions.
Historical Connections: Use the jumbo hexagonal cards to encourage students to draw connections between historical events and ideas.
Assign two different countries or cultures related to social studies and have students use the jumbo hexagonal thinking cards to compare and contrast different aspects such as language, religion, economy, and government.
Use jumbo hexagonal thinking cards to make interactive bulletin boards or whiteboard displays!

Mental Health Awareness Jumbo Hexagonal Thinking Cards

10 Creative One-Pager Ideas for Social Studies

10 Creative One-Pager Ideas for Social Studies As a social studies teacher, you understand that the subject is one of the most important aspects of education, and it is vital to keep your students engaged and motivated in their learning. One way to achieve this is through the use of one-pagers, a creative and visually appealing way to summarize information and showcase understanding. One-pagers offer a chance to showcase a student’s creativity, critical thinking skills, and grasp of the subject. In this blog post, we will explore ten creative one-pager ideas for social studies that will not only maximize your students’ learning but also spark their creativity and critical thinking skills. Why Use One-Pagers in Social Studies? One-pagers are an excellent way to get students engaged in the learning process. They are a creative and visually appealing way to summarize information and showcase understanding. By utilizing one-pagers, you can help your students to: Process information more ef...

Examples of Map Legends and Map Symbols (Plus Creative Tips and Project Ideas!)

Creative tips and projects for teaching students about legends (keys) on a map: 1. Create a scavenger hunt: Give students a map with a key and have them find different landmarks or features on the map. For example, you might ask them to find a park, a school, and a river. This is a fun way to get students engaged with maps and help them learn how to read legends. 2. Make your own map: Have students create their own maps of their school or neighborhood. They can include symbols for different features like buildings, parks, and roads. This is a great way to get students thinking about the different elements that go into making a map. 3. Use technology: There are many online tools that allow you to create custom maps with your own symbols and legends. Have students use these tools to create their own maps of their community or a fictional place. 4. Create a legend matching game: Create cards with different symbols from a map legend and have students match them to the correct definition. T...

Ripped Paper World Map Project - Middle or High School Geography

Earlier this week I presented my students with a challenge. Create a world map using construction paper, glue, and a sharpie. No scissors. Students were not allowed to use any tools to cut out their continents. They had to tear their continents from construction paper. After their continents were ready, students were asked to label them and then glue them in place. Each student's map needed a title, compass rose, key, symbols, Equator, and Prime Meridian, and all the continents and oceans had to be labeled. Most of my students had a blast creating their maps. Of course, a couple students were anxious; worried their continents wouldn't look nice. With some reassuring, they proceeded and did just fine. This activity is a perfect back-to-school or sub-day activity. It required very little prep and materials. I let my students use any color construction paper they wanted as long as they selected two different colors. The results were fantastic! Grab your copy of the ...

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