Wow! This week went by so fast! I have three amazing classes that are ready to do well and succeed! ;)
For this being the first week, we were extra busy getting to know one another, playing "blind date" or "silent ball" and completing two mini projects! I also had my students complete a multiple intelligences survey! - this was extremely beneficial! Each class was so different!
If you are not acquainted with the improv game or silent ball... Here's a brief description of each.
Blind Date: is a improvisational game where students "become" either the bachelor or bachorlette and 3 perspective dates. The catch? Each perspective date has a unique quality about themselves that the bachelorette/bachelor has to figure out based on clues the dates give while answering questions. So, for example...
Date 1: Spongebob Squarepants
Date 2: Cinderella
Date 3: A sprinkled doughnut
A question that the bachelor might ask would be...
Bachelorette number 1, where would we go on our first date?
Date 1: we would NOT go to the Scum Bucket!
Bachelorette number 2, what are your favorite hobbies?
Date 2: cleaning and talking to mice
Bachorlette number 3, what is the weridest place you have visited?
Date 3: the intestinal track of a police officer
--- the goal is to give clues that don't totally give away your character or unique quality!
I've been playing this game for 3 years and the kids love it!!! :) I've seen shy kids break out of their shells and I've seen struggling kids do really well with giving clues! Great game for higher order thinking skills!!
Silent ball: students sit on their desks and throw a foam ball around until there's only one person left! Sounds boring but here are the rules!
Rules:
No talking - if you do... Your out!
If you throw short or too long - your out!
If you interfere with a throw - your out!
If you whip it - your out!
You may look at someone and throw it to another person!
If your out... You may trick a person to talking to you (within reason)!
If the ball drops on the ground - the person who dropped it, picks it up and throws it to a classmate.
If it gets down to three people - one handed catch.
The last person - wins :)
The teacher is the judge and has final say in all decisions!
You may think this game is silly... But, this is the most engaging game for friendly competition PLUS it gives you (the teacher) some peace and quiet! The kids love this!! ;)I give credit to Mr. Pueblo, my sixth grade teacher, for inventing this game! He's a genius!
We also completed two mini projects this week! The first one was a STEM activity that involved having students pick teams of three and building a "boat" with two sheets of aluminum foil. No other materials could be used! They were allowed only 20 minutes to build their boat and then we "tested" the durability of their boat by seeing how much money it could hold in a bucket of water! My 7th graders - listened and every group realized it wasn't based on weight but on the amount of money their boat could hold. It was awesome to see problem solving and collaborating! ;) Next year, I think I'm going to add an Exit Slip component!
The other mini project was "Soundtrack Of My Life/Summer". I have a music themed classroom this year. This acitivity was purchased on TPT by Addie Williams (her blog is excellent by the way)! Students had to choose 8-10 songs that represented their life or summer in someway. They had to give credit to the artist and I left this open ended and allowed some leeway for kids who struggled "connecting" songs to their life/summer!
I had some really creative ones like "Peanut Butter, Jelly Time" because that particular student went to summer camp and ate PB & J all summer! Another favorite was the Mario theme song because that student played Mario games with a sibling. :)
Below are some pictures of student work!
We had a busy but fun week! I can't wait to go back next week and work on sentence fluency and story elements with "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto! 8th grade will read "Charles" by Shirley Jackson and 6th grade will be reading "Uncanny" for the next four weeks! "Meet The Teacher Night" is next Wednesday! :) I've got some great things planned for that! Wonderful start to what is expected to be a great school year!! :)
Can't wait!
-Ritchie