Communication

In the beginning of the unit the students learned that communication is important in completing tasks. They practiced how to use effective communication by completing a variety of tasks. The kindergarten and first grade classes discuss and develops ways to communicate their feelings in an effective manor in the classroom. The characters from Disney's Inside Out, are used as our motivation. Students finish this lesson by creating 1 class emotion and using the Book Creator app to document their work on their tablets.

Second grade students listen to the story Click, Clack, Moo. They must answer a question in Google Classroom, and discuss how the characters in the book used effective communication skills. They also participate in the class minefield activity. Where one student is blindfolded, and the other students must communicate with him/her to navigate the student across the carpet without stepping on any mines (pillows and stuffed animals).

Collaboration

Now that the kids understand effective communication, they will need to use this important skill to collaborate with others to create a project.

In kindergarten and first grade the students worked listened to the story of The Little Blue Truck. They learn that helping each other and working together is a more effective way to complete tasks. Then in some classes the students either worked together on a parachute/ball activity, while others completed a cup stacking challenge. Both activities require the students to communicate and collaborate effectively together.

The students in second grade classrooms listened to a story about a boy in Africa, who made his own toy, called a Galimoto. The students then were assigned small groups that had to plan and create their own Galimoto. First the students designed a blueprint of the Galimoto. Then, using up-cycled materials donated by families, the children created their toys. Each group made 1 toy.

The last cycle of collaboration, the students in kindergarten and first grade used the tablets to make a digital Discovery book using the app Book Creator. In Book Creator the children took a photo of the Galimoto and labeled it in their book. The students in second grade used a Google Chrome extension called Screencastify. This extension allowed the kids to create a video diary entry of their project using the camera. The file was then uploaded to their Google drive, and shared to me via Google Classroom. All of the projects were creative and original pieces of art, not to mention fun toys!

Critical Thinking

Students take their communication and collaboration skills and use them in small groups with the critical thinking challenges.

The kindergarten students recall what happens to the three little pigs when the big bad wolf comes to blow down their houses. Then the students have a chance to build houses out of different materials to protect the pigs.

First graders listen to the story Going Places. We discuss how critical thinking is thinking outside of the box. Then the students are given their kit, and asked to make something that can cross the finish line.

Second graders learn how architects and engineers use critical thinking to solve problems and create. We read Iggy Peck Architect and Rosie Revere Engineer. The students then have 10 minutes to create a tower with 15 pipe cleaners. Extra challenges are thrown into the activity to make it more challenging.