Create It Challenge

If you are like me, you are always looking for new and interesting ways to engage your students. No matter what grade level you work with or what subject area you teach, it is helpful to have some things in your “bag of tricks” that will spark creativity and offer students the opportunity to think, design, and make.

It is even better when the ideas that we collect in our trick bag are universal and can be used in many ways and with lots of different learners. For example, in this Create It challenge we can use a simple template (below) to inspire some creative making. This can be used within an English Language Arts class, in a STEM/STEAM classroom, or in a library/makerspace. There are so many places where we can connect making to the curriculum.

The challenge template can be used as a whole group lesson or in a learning center. It can be an individual task, a partner activity or completed in a small group. The template can be laminated and placed in a maker corner or can be a “free choice” activity in the classroom.  Let’s explore some ways to use this challenge.

Primary

I have used this activity with kindergarten and first grade students, using play dough to create an animal from a story that was read aloud. Fun animal books like Panda-monium at Peek Zoo or Giraffes Can’t Dance are perfect for this creativity challenge. After reading the story, students can create an animal from the book, or use the grid below to create something a little more unconventional.

 With students at this level, let’s make it a game. Have students fold their paper in half and then half again creating four rectangles. In each section, students will choose any number 1-4 and write it.

After selecting their numbers, this student would work to create an insect (3) with glasses (2), that can sing and dance (3) somewhere in your neighborhood (4). With students choosing different number combinations, who knows what their creations will look like!

Upper Elementary

In a 4th grade classroom, students are working on adding dialogue to their writing. They are also using tools like Makey-Makey and Lego Build the Change in their STEM classes. This creative challenge could offer an opportunity to integrate both.

Students can choose one item from each column on the grid to create one animal character. Then they can connect with one partner who has selected a different animal/character. Together, they can create a scene where the two animals engage in dialogue. The students can construct their characters out of cardboard, other recyclables, or building bricks. Each partnership can create movement, lights, or sounds to enhance the interaction between their characters.

Middle Level

This tool could also be used with middle level learners. In a 7th grade class, I shared the book The Secret Seahorse. It is a vibrantly colored book that explores ocean plants and animals. The illustrations are made out of fabric with buttons, ribbons, and sequins creating bold details in each creature. The middle school students then wrote their own narrative stories about animals with an end goal to illustrate and read their stories to their “book buddies” in first grade.

For a different twist, middle school students could use the challenge grid to select their main character, details and setting for their story. Better yet, they might let their buddies do the choosing! The older students can draft the story. The younger students can work on creating creatures out of recycled fabrics and other sewing materials. Then, the partners can come together to create a fabric book of the story.

I call this type of learning, Remaking Literacy. When we add design, engineering and hands-on making to our literacy instruction, we provide a more meaningful and connected learning experience for students. Not only does this approach promote collaboration and communication, but it also taps into creative thinking.

Challenges like these can be used and reused over time, since students can come up with different combinations every time. You might also add a few more rows or even columns of your own.

PS. I plan to share several other versions of this in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

The 30 Circles Challenge is another idea that can be added to your trick bag. This simple template can be used to spark creativity but can also be used to connect to different content areas. We can build our students’ ability to think outside of the box and look at problems in new and unique ways.

If you are looking for more ways to build creative habits, check out my books Unlock Creativity: Open a World of Imagination With Your Students. I have book study questions and activities available for any school team that buys more than 15 books.

For more ideas, follow me on Twitter @DrJacieMaslyk or subscribe to my website www.steam-makers.com.

3 Ways Kids Can Help Our Earth

 It’s springtime! We are spending more time outdoors and appreciating all that comes with spring weather. Flowers are growing, birds are singing, and animals are visiting our yards. Seeing the signs of springtime also means that Earth Day is coming.

One part of being a positive global citizen is doing our part to help the world around us. Taking care of our world can mean doing things within homes or neighborhoods. Sometimes it means taking responsibility for our schools and towns. We can also expand that view with our students and encourage them to think about our country and other countries across the globe. 

In the book, 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World, Melanie Walsh shares some simple ways that we can get students thinking about ways they can make a difference. Not only will this book encourage young learners to think beyond themselves, it will also promote sustainability, conservation, and recycling. It is a great book to share with students as we approach Earth Day.

This post will share ideas from Walsh’s book as well as three actionable steps you can take with your students. Through STEAM Maker connections (any way that we can incorporate STEM, STEAM, or hands-on making into our curriculum in meaningful ways) and creating for social good, students can help our Earth.

1. Turn It Off!

Even our youngest students can learn about conservation. Turning off the lights, TV, or other items that use electricity can help to conserve energy. We can teach students the importance of saving energy and discuss all of the things at home and school that use energy. 

Students can also learn about turning off water sources. Not letting our faucets run when we brush our teeth or not taking extra long showers can help to conserve water. Students will be amazed at how much water they can save just by making some simple changes.

STEAM Maker Connections:

●       Create a poster or a short video clip explaining why turning things off is an important task that we can all do.

●       Design an invention that can turn off the water for you while brushing your teeth

●       Learn about alternative ways that things can be powered (wind, solar, etc.)

2. Tackle the Trash

Throwing away our trash in the right place is something we can all do to help our world. Putting garbage in the can after we eat our lunch at school or putting plastic bottles in the recycling bin at home can help to keep our world clean.

Better yet, use the trash in responsible ways. Using both sides of our papers at school can reduce the amount of trees cut down to make paper. Reusing plastics can reduce the amount of trash that ends up in our landfills.

STEAM Maker Connections:

●       Collect plastic bottles and containers for a week, then design a way to repurpose them

●       List 10 different ways that you can use and reuse paper

●       Design a way to sort the recycling at home or at school

3. Take Care

Taking care of plants and animals is another way to be responsible global citizens. We can make sure that birds and bees have places to live and food to eat. We can increase awareness about the amount of pollution that we put into the water, so that animals are safe when they swim in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. We can reduce the amount of pollution that we put into the air from driving cars and using chemicals.

When we take care of our world, we are taking positive action steps towards making a difference. Teaching students this at a young age can help them as they grow into responsible adults caring for the Earth.

STEAM Maker Connections:

●       Plant seeds in the classroom or design a school garden

●       Construct bee hotels so that they can continue to pollinate flowers

●       Research organizations in your area that take care of plants and animals (zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, aviary, wildlife refuge) and find out how your school can partner with them

There are so many ways to get our students involved in making a difference. From planting gardens to recycling plastics and increasing awareness about pollution and conservation. We can engage them through the books we read and the activities that we design for them.

Be on the lookout for an upcoming post with other books perfect for celebrating Earth Day!

7 STEM Books to Use With Novel Effect

 7 STEM Books to Use With Novel Effect

I remember coming home from a conference a year or so ago and introducing my young sons to this “new app”, Novel Effect.  We added the app to my phone and looked for a story to try. They immediately picked Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a childhood favorite. The boys loved hearing the beachy vibe and the waves in the background. They were amazed at the sounds of the coconuts and the effects when the alphabet letters climbed up and eventually falling down from the tree.

The app truly enhanced our reading experience at home, prompting me to share it with the students in the schools that I serve. With my passion for STEM education, I especially love the books in the STEAM category within the Novel Effect app.

This post will share seven of my favorite read aloud selections that can be used with the app. In addition, I share some possible “after reading” activities that extend student thinking and give learners the chance to engage in hands-on learning connected to great literature. 

 Mae Among the Stars by Rosa Ahmed

This is an inspirational story of an amazing woman in STEM. Mae Jemison dreamed about being an astronaut. Her teacher tried to deter her from pursuing this dream, but Mae didn’t give up. With great determination, Mae continues to work towards achieving her dream. She gets support from her parents, pushing her to reach her dream of seeing Earth from space.

After reading:

●       Design and construct their own spacecraft including movement, lights, or sounds

●       Build a model of outer space using recyclables

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca

When Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become a well-respected voice in science. She was a determined visual thinker transforming her ideas into inventions. Temple felt in tune with animals, helping her invent improvements for farms around the globe. Her unique perspective and innovative thinking are shared in this story.

After reading:

●       Brainstorm ways you might help different kinds of animals

●       Prototype an invention from an idea that you came up with

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

This is a story of a girl and the important lesson that she learns from her grandmother. Students will reflect on the importance of water in their lives. The Ojibwe people tell the story of a black snake that will one day destroy their land and poison their water. The girl discovers that this “black snake” has already come in the form of an oil pipeline through their land. She takes action to protect their water supply.  Becoming a water protector means doing whatever it takes for the sake of the environment and the people, plants, and animals of the Earth.

After reading:

●       Create a digital poster telling about the importance of water

●       Build a model showing a important source of water where you live

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

As a child Chris loved rockets and pretending he was a brave astronaut. He didn’t feel so brave though, because was afraid of the dark. After watching the moon landing on TV, he knew that he had to become an astronaut one day. Chris goes on to be the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space. He flew in two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station.

After reading:

●       Construct a rocket and a mechanism to launch it

●       Design an invention to help kids who are afraid of the dark

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk

Pearl and her robot want to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over. They decide to do it using code. Breaking the problem into smaller steps, Pearl uses conditionals and loops to tell Pascal what to do. They find that building a sandcastle isn’t as easy as it sounds when lots of things get in their way.

After reading:

●       Build a robot that can move through a maze (or use your favorite robot like ozobots or Dot and Dash)

●       Try some unplugged coding activities

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

This book is meant to serve as a guide to life on Earth. The author created it for his son as a lesson for how we should take care of our world. Whether on land, in the oceans, or in outer space, it is our responsibility to care for the plants and animals that live here. With a focus on kindness, this is a great book for kids of all ages.

After reading:

●       Encourage your students to take action. Make a short video to tell others about taking care of the Earth.

●       Design a new planet. What would it look like? What special features would it have?

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. The unique illustrations of both under water and sky will interest young learners. With minnows darting, beavers diving, and tadpoles growing, we can see different creatures who make up this rich ecosystem. 

After reading:

●       Research and create a model of a different type of ecosystem

●       Design divided illustrations (like in the book) where you can see over/under or inside/outside of different things 

From coding to space travel to sustainability and the environment, there are so many great STEM topics to share. Novel Effect has a library of books that keeps on growing! They have books connected to all subject areas and many different themes, perfect for the elementary classroom. 

Pairing great books with STEM activities is a part of what I call “remaking” our literacy practices. This approach offers hands-on strategies to connect with children’s literature, helping students to engage more in reading, writing, and vocabulary, but also activating their creative thinking. For more ideas like these, check out the book Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning.