Autobiography Map

(This will probably take a few lessons as it is a project type activity)

What am I learning?

*to understand and create a map to share about things that are important to me

How can I make sure I am successful?

*I understand how to use a map

*I have identified some important things about myself

*I have designed a Autobiography map that includes symbols, a key and my personal “landmarks”

Activity description/steps:

1. Share examples of the Autobiography Map with student's.

2. Use this site (Nat Geo) to explore the idea of maps - their purpose, features, how to use them.

3. Student's to use this planner to write down some things about themself. Then they can draw up a rough draft of their map. Refer back to the examples to show that this is a chance for them to be creative. Talk about what “symbolic” means and what symbols they could use for their map.

4. Include symbols, a key, different landmarks and labels as needed. And a compass if they want to.

5. Once they have drafted up a map and received feedback, student's can start publishing their map using colour (pencils and watercolor??).

Basketball Challenge

What am I learning?

*to design and construct structures that bear weight.

*to work collaboratively with others

How can I make sure I am successful?

*I will plan and construct my basketball tower, using a hypothesis to lead my thinking

*I will work together with my group.

*I will think creatively and have a growth mindset.

Activity description/steps:

1. Take a look at a basketball. Do you think that newspaper could hold the weight of a basketball? You will be constructing a tower that will hold a basketball, you can use only newspaper and masking tape.

2. Before you start constructing use the challenge organiser to think and plan. Form a ‘hypothesis’ about what you think might happen.

3. Start constructing your basketball tower. You have a time constraint of 25 minutes to complete the challenge in. So you have to work collaboratively and think efficiently.

4. Once you’ve completed, test with a basketball and measure the height.

5. After you’ve tested reflect- if your tower worked the first time - what you might add if the weight was heavier? What about the design made it work, can you recognise this design in the real world anywhere? If it didn’t work the first time, do you know how you might change it, can you think of a different way that it might work?

Extras for early finishers:

Come up with a different design, can you create a tower using the same materials that doesn’t need to bear weight but is taller than you?

Resources:

Newspaper

Masking Tape

Basketball

Youtube/Drive/PDF links:

Challenge Organiser (to print one for each table)

Tower Examples (These are some ideas for in class teachers, if you feel like your students need a guide)