February 2012
2nd Grade
The last time we were together we did the "Howard Wigglebottom" listening lesson (Lexington School District One 1st Grade, Leadership Lesson #1). We began this lesson reviewing about what a good listener looks like. "Take the MYSTERY out of that for me!" A good listener:
looks at the speaker
organizes his or her body appropriately--hands to self, flat on "chicken cheeks," faces speaker
ears are turned on and tuned in
engages heart--reflect listening in facial expressions--happy news=happy face, goldfish died=sad face
engages brain--asks appropriate questions to clarify understanding, be open minded
(I had fun using props as we reviewed--funny glasses with eyeballs, BIG ears, red heart candy container and rainbow colored brain stress reliever)
We also read LMNO Peas by Keith Baker to explore career possibilities during the last lesson. We talked about Career Day coming up and how everybody will dress up and have a chance to hear speakers share about their jobs. "Do you think listening is important when you grow up and have a job?"
If a police officer doesn't listen and someone reports a missing child and he goes out looking for a dog . . . he will not be successful.
If a doctor doesn't listen and a patient describes how their back hurts and she prescribes medicine for their tummy . . . the patient will not feel better.
We brainstormed several examples and concluded listening is important no matter how tall you are!! At all ages and all stages of life you need to LISTEN!
Children then created a "If, then" statement for "blue ribbon listening" and "NOT listening!" Taking a plain piece of paper and folding 'hamburger style" and then "taco folding," students created four equal boxes. We discussed what the sentences would look like (see the table below). Students cut out the blue ribbon and "NOT listening" symbols and awarded the appropriate statements/illustrations (also see below). We discussed a rubric for checking when the project was complete:
[ ] Name on paper
[ ] Sentences begin with capital letters.
[ ] Punctuation is used appropriately!
[ ] Work is completed neatly.
[ ] Awards are gluesticked with the appropriate statements.
Students came up with some GREAT examples! I even had one kiddo share about how if a vet didn't listen, he'd have a bad reputation . . . oh, GOLD MINE! We talked about the consequence of a bad reputation with your career. Other folks wouldn't recommend you, business would get slow, you might have to find another way to make money . . .
I'm offering a lesson on reputations I found in Puzzle Pieces to follow up. I also think I'll have one or two students "tweet" their good thinking at the start of the next lesson!
Kindergarten
Introduce "Career Day" on March 7--Remind about guest speakers/dress up opportunity
As you begin thinking about what you can be "when you grow up?"--what are your choices?
Check out the Learning Commons for "choices!" Share library books--"That's Our School" series and "Helpers in Our Community" series
Why do people need a job? Read People Work by Debbie Ecker. Discuss people need jobs for money. People need money for food, a place to live, clothes and fun things they want too (make a connection to the Book Fair shopping).
Share toy cow. What jobs does this toy cow make you think of? Farmer, Milk--Grocery Store Employees, Truck Drivers, Chick-Fil-A
Divide into groups and discuss various toys and job possibilities:
tape measure--sewing, measuring
calculator--banker, library lady
toy saw--construction, furniture builder
cookie cutter--baker, chef, play therapist
maraca/baby rattle--day care providers, music teacher
Have students share ideas they've generated.
Present the Career Day "Bobblehead" Idea for our career hall display. This is what we'll make next time we're together. Encourage students to be thinking about what they want to be when they grow up . . . pay attention to "jobs" all around us.
Close with Whose Gloves Are These? by Laurie Purdie Salas to discuss more career possibilities.
4th Grade
The last time we were together we did the "Perfect Square" activity. (We read Perfect Square by Michael Hall then took small squares, destroyed, and reorganized creatively.) We reviewed that no matter what happens to you, in whatever job you pursue, you'll "get knocked down and get back up again!" I shared a Weeble Wobble toy and compared that when you try to "get back up again," it may take several tries, but you can do it.
We reviewed the "How Are You Smart?" Inventory in Puzzles Pieces pp. 400-401 that we completed at the end of our last lesson. We identified what it means to be skilled in these ways:
Verbal-Linguistic
Logical-Mathematical
Musical
Spatial
Bodily-Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
(pp. 402-405)
Students picked their top strength and then were divided into groups according to these top talents. Groups were asked to construct three slides--
(1) What is your team's strength? (I copied the Puzzle Pieces pages for teams to glue if they chose to explain in this way.) (2) Career Choices--What careers would someone with this strength be good at pursuing? What careers interest you?
(3) Why are these appropriate choices? How does the career choice put the skill in action?
I explained that slide #3 is most important because it pulls the activity together. Students back up their choices with the connection they make from "type of intelligence" to "career." This deep thinking is stretching some of my kiddos!
While they are working in groups, I walk around to monitor progress and give feedback. I also periodically chime the triangle to compliment teams listening and working together. I remind about writing in complete sentences with good mechanics (capitalizaton and punctuation).
Students develop a "script" to explain the three slides on a paper slide video. I encourage everyone in the group to be involved in the narration. I checked out an iPad from our TIS and students used this to film their presentations. Paper Slide Videos are great because faces are not recorded. Our TIS shared how to use iMovie to put their short films together (in total a 4 min video) with titles. It is a pretty sharp looking finished product! These will be highlighted on our BIG TV in the Commons Area of our school. I will also display the "slides" in a hall display for visitors who will be with us on Career Day.
If a ____ listens,
If a ____ doesn't listen,
then ________.
then ________.
