When I was new to project-based learning, I remember saying, “I believe in this but I don’t know where to get started.” I learned so many new strategies through trial and error and eventually shared my resources with a larger community. Since then, I have refined my approach to focus on research-based strategies and soliciting feedback from teachers around the world. While I do have some curriculum and materials for purchase, everything on this page is entirely free. I hope you find these downloads both practical and useful. I invite you to explore the collection below and add them to your personal toolbox. Simply put your email address under any of the resources and you’ll have access to the resource. You’ll also be signed up for my newsletter, where you’ll get access to weekly emails where I share resources, videos, and podcasts.
Free resources to empower your students!
Deeper Learning Toolkit
Ever read a book and think, “This sounds great but how do I turn these big ideas into practical steps?” I designed this toolkit as a way to provide lesson plans, protocols, learning supports, and videos that you can use from day one. Each set of tools corresponds to a deeper learning competency (and thus a chapter of the book). And if you haven’t read the book? No problem. They’re still absolutely free. Sign up below and you’ll also have access to my weekly newsletter where I shared ideas and strategies.
AI Toolkit
The AI Toolbox gives you a practical starting point for bringing artificial intelligence into your classroom in meaningful, human-centered ways. You’ll get A Beginner’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education, a highly visual eBook that explains the basics of AI and explores how it is already transforming creativity, differentiation, personalized learning, and assessment. I included a ton of my sketches to make it quick and easy to read. Along with the eBook, you’ll find sample prompts you can try right away and a ready-to-use lesson plan built around the FACTS Prompt Engineering Cycle, so you can help students learn how to think critically and work effectively with AI. This toolbox is designed to give you both the big picture and the hands-on tools you need to get started.
Visual Writing Prompts
One of the best aspects of being a teacher is watching students go from saying, “I hate writing,” to being so passionate about writing that they refuse to stop when the bell rings. In these moments, it can feel like magic. While there are many ways to spark the love of writing, one of my favorite strategies is a video or visual writing prompt. For over a decade, I have been creating authentic, teacher-tested writing prompts to spark the love of writing with even the most reluctant writer.
Right now, you can download a set of 100+ writing prompts (plus 30 video prompts) for free. Simply add your email address and click “submit” and I’ll send you a PowerPoint, Keynote, and PDF with the prompts.
Wonder Day and Wonder Week
The Wonder Day and Wonder Week Project is a simple, high-interest way to spark student curiosity and turn it into meaningful inquiry. Students begin with open-ended questions like “I’m wondering why…” or “What would happen if…,” and from there they dive into research, analysis, and creation. This resource walks you through the entire process, complete with slides, handouts, and prompts you can use right away. Whether you try it as a single-day activity or expand it into a full week, you’ll see students building research skills, engaging in critical thinking, and sharing their findings with an authentic audience—all while rediscovering the joy of curiosity-driven learning.
Assessment Toolkit
he Assessment Toolkit gives you a set of protocols you can use right away to make self-assessment and peer assessment a regular part of learning. Each protocol is designed to move beyond compliance and instead empower students to reflect on their progress, set goals, and give one another meaningful feedback. By weaving these tools into your instruction, you create a classroom culture where students take ownership of their growth and see assessment as a way to build confidence and improve their work.
Empower Blueprint and Toolkit
This resource is designed to make the shift toward student-centered learning both practical and inspiring, with sample projects you can bring straight into your classroom, complete with videos, slideshows, lesson plans, and a student notebook. You’ll also find The Empower Blueprint eBook, a guide that walks you through the process of designing learning experiences where students truly take ownership. To help with implementation, the resource includes a suite of ready-to-use assessments and a set of classroom structures that will support you as you integrate design thinking and empower students to lead their own learning.
Design a School on Mars
The Design a School on Mars Challenge is a free, high-energy project that invites students to dream big while practicing critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. A.J. Juliani and I first launched this challenge eight years ago, and we’ve updated it with new supports based on what we’ve learned through our own PBL and design thinking journey. You’ll get a slideshow, a teacher lesson plan, a student handout (the Boost Book), a rotating reading activity, and a brand-new sketch video to launch the project. It’s hands-on, engaging, and a perfect fit for the weeks before winter break, with alignment to NGSS and ELA standards. The best part? Students love it, and it’s a chance to see them light up as they design solutions for learning on another planet.
