Activities · 11-17-2015
Are you looking for ideas to expand young students’ vocabulary skills? While the thesaurus is an excellent source for helping students learn new words, it can also be used to generate laughter and fun. One of my creative colleagues developed many engaging activities to extend speaking and writing vocabularies. One of my favorites was the highly sophisticated book of nursery rhymes. Students enjoyed embellishing traditional nursery rhymes with synonyms chosen to entertain, amuse, and educate...
Activities · 10-20-2015
Artist Phillip Haas’ 15-foot-tall sculptures on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are amazing. Entitled The Four Seasons, they are 3-dimensional interpretations of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's portrait series of the same name. Arcimboldo was an Italian Renaissance painter best known for creating "composite head" paintings. These paintings were composed of items such as tree roots, flowers, and vegetables. Exploring these sculptures with children inspires fun and creativity. Children love...
Museums · 10-04-2015
The Etch A Sketch, the Hula Hoop, and Lego are three toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed great popularity. They are also members of the National Toy Hall of Fame. To date, 56 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, which is part of The Strong, a wonderful “interactive, collections-based educational institution devoted to the study and exploration of play." It is one of the largest history museums in the United States and one of the leading museums serving...
Activities · 09-22-2015
Museum visitors seeking to engage with exhibits appreciate the hands-on educational opportunities museums provide. Many of these programs include both aesthetic and emotional experiences. One example of an effective aesthetic activity was recently offered at The Phillips Collection during their American Moments exhibition. The exhibit highlighted examples of Modernism, documentary expression, photojournalism, and street photography. In a room featuring portraits of artists, a simple prompt...
Activities · 08-26-2015
I’ve collected wish rocks for as long as I can remember. Finding a stone that has a line wrapped around it always makes me happy. The smooth wish rocks discovered along beaches or lakes are the most exquisite. Wish rocks also make good birthday presents. In addition to making a wish while blowing out the candles, there is another wish to look forward to. They are useful at the beginning of the school year too. Give students wish rocks as a way to enhance creativity. Ask students to think...
Books · 08-06-2015
Book lovers appreciate the recommendations of other readers. My friend Nikki is an avid reader, and I often ask for her “must-read” books. She is familiar with my interests and rarely lets me down. Children are no different. When asked how they find new books, they often mention their peers as motivators. This peer choice results in a wonderful opportunity for children to engage in critical and creative thinking based upon book choice. In flexible informal groups, children can develop...
Activities · 07-26-2015
Last week, I wrote about “big ideas” in stories and how students can discover these ideas through a discussion of evidence. Another way for students to build upon ideas is by interacting with others through blogging. By practicing the skills of critical thinking, elementary (and older) students can explore questions, collaborate in groups, and give or receive feedback. The practice of blogging with elementary students might require a bit of scaffolding. Assess students’ prior knowledge...
Activities · 07-18-2015
Good stories keep us thinking. They encourage metacognition and enable children to think critically about the "big ideas" within the details. One way for children to discover these “big ideas” is through a discussion of evidence. For example, after reading Jack and the Beanstalk, you might: 1. Present the following question: Since the giant wanted to eat Jack, was it okay that Jack stole the giant’s goose and harp? 2. Have children reread the story to mark passages (the evidence) that...
Activities · 06-23-2015
Amadeus Mozart is an award-winning, bright red, climbing hybrid tea rose. The healthy, large, yellow flowers of the Charles Darwin rose appear throughout the summer and autumn with a lovely scent of citrus and tea. Anna Pavlova is a fragrant rose with pointy petals and straight sides. The rose is considered the “Queen of Flowers” and comes in a variety of colors, scents, shapes and has a multitude of uses. These distinct qualities make it the perfect flower for attribute-based writing...