Our dialogue continues on repurposing dollarstore and thrifty finds to develop activities that engage students in thinking and doing. Teachers need to be talking less and students need to be actively involved in their learning.
The item for last month:
Card Sleeves
Possible activities…
Time Lines
• students can record information on cards that fit into individual pockets
• Topics…
1. a biographical journey in the life of an artist, historical figure, composer, athletic, scientist etc.
2. the history of an event(fashion past and present), scientific discovery (DNA, mapping of Genome to stem cell research)
3. events in a story to aid plot development and comprehension
Chart—Compare/Contrast/Similarities
• Ist column 2 items(eg. characters in story) for comparison in each sleeve
• 2nd column features that contrast between each group of items(eg. characters in a story)
• 3rd column features that are similar between each group of items(similarities between characters)
A Guide/Template for writing
• 3 columns = 3 subtopics that will support a thesis statement
• Subsequent rows will house the examples, quotes that will support each subtopic
KWI with each column representing:
• What I know
• What I want to know
• What I leaned
Reflection Guide
Sleeves can serve as an organizer where a group/or individual can record what they learned over the course of the project/assignment or individuals can be instructed to record one piece of information or skill that he/she learned at the end of an activity, unit. The sleeve remains at the front of the student’s binder. It is a Reflection Guide.
Math
Combine numbers and mathematical operations (x,+,-) in sleeves.Task would be to complete the missing square with a number that equals the identical number whenever the numbers are tallied up and down the rows or across the columns.
Idea Tree for Story Writing or Story Summary
1st column lists story concepts: characters, setting, themes, conflict/problem, and resolution.
Student completes subsequent rows with information gathered from story/novel.
Summarizing an Article
Students are to record in one sentence the 9 most important ideas/concepts identified in the reading.
Regroup with a partner and between both students identify the 9 best ideas.
Organize the ideas in a logical fashion, followed by a written paragraph based on the 9 points to guide the summary.
Next Month’s Challenge….
Plasticine
Please share with me.
Books of interest and inspiration…
Ugg Boots and Crocs, uniquely different yet desirable. I actively look for unique ideas and inspiration from a variety of sources to guide my imagination with the intent of reinvention.
Every month I will also share some of my favorite books.
1. Exploiting Chaos, 150 ways to spark innovation during times of change.Jeremy Gutsche(2009)
The dedication reads as follows…“To My Dad: For teaching me how to create something from nothing, which is, in fact, the premise of this book”.
2. Softies Only a Mother Could Love – Lovable Friends for You to Sew, Knit, or Crochet.
Edited by Jess Redman and Meg Leder (2009) – these activities will serve as a future topic for our imagination. The back cover reads “Fuel your imagination and awaken your creative spirit”.
3. To-Do-List: From buying milk to finding a soul mate, what our lists reveal about us.
Sasha Cagen(2007)
4. Craft: transforming traditional crafts. Published 4 times a year by O’Reilly Media. Inc.
See http://www.craftzine.com/
Examples of crafting include: Foraging Mother Nature to re-create, designing your own game board.
Resourcefully yours,
Julia Andreacchi
All Rights Reserved
Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds
©2009
