George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

6-8 Middle School

Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in grades 6-8.

  • Kicking Off the School Year With Intention

    Setting aside time for relationship building at the start of school can pay big dividends throughout the year.
    Mary Davenport

  • 5 Fiction Writing Tools That Spark Students’ Creativity

    These tools can help middle and high school students generate ideas for fiction writing and then hone their craft.
    Kathryn Nieves

  • Using Learning Stations to Kick Off the Year

    An engaging way for students to get to know each other, review the syllabus, and decide on classroom agreements.
    Angelina Murphy

  • A Student-Driven Approach to Experiential Learning

    See how a Reggio Emilia–inspired elementary school in Australia fosters student interests to spark curiosity and joy in learning.

  • Reading Aloud to Middle School Students

    Hearing books read aloud benefits older students, enhancing language arts instruction and building a community of readers.
    Kasey Short

  • There’s a Cell Phone in Your Student’s Head

    A 2017 study found that cell phones that were turned off and stashed away silently reasserted themselves—distracting working students anyway.

  • Inviting Participation With Thumbs-Up Responses

    A quick assessment strategy replaces raised hands, encouraging more students to contribute by accommodating their different processing needs.

  • 10 Student-Tested Chrome Extensions

    Many teachers and students use Google Chrome, and it’s easy to customize with these extensions that really benefit students.
    Kathryn Nieves

  • Evidence-Based Scheduling With Daniel Pink

    The best-selling author explains why the order of the school day should look different for elementary and high school students.
    Laura Lee

  • Teaching Students How to Ask Productive Questions

    Improve engagement, comprehension, and critical thinking by teaching students the process of asking insightful questions.
    Laura Lee

  • The Playful Approach to Math

    Math doesn’t have to be serious. One teacher believes play is the key to math comprehension for all ages.
    Matthew Oldridge

  • Is It Time to Detrack Math?

    Districts are moving to end the practice of tracking as research suggests that it may deepen educational inequities—with little benefit for students’ academic performance.
    Carly Berwick

  • Developing Executive Function With Priority Lists

    Explicitly modeling the process of prioritizing tasks builds students’ ability to organize and manage their time.

  • Build Empathy and Understanding by Pairing Comics With Novels

    Teaching with comics facilitates improved comprehension and social-emotional competencies.
    Ryan Chapman

  • Study Strategies Beyond Memorization

    Using a metacognitive exercise helps students know what they should and shouldn’t study.
    Kasey Short