Clay Play

Research

Play can help support meaningful learning by increasing joy and student engagement.
Play helps develop social-emotional skills and supports positive behavior and auto-regulation.
Successful writers are those that engage with the writing. When students enjoy a topic they tend to engage more fully.

Annotated Bibliography

Literature Synthesis

Inquiry Cycle

Through play, we will create opportunities for students to explore, engage and participate in academic endeavors in a meaningful way.

Memorialization Document

Reflection

Students used their imaginations to create a unique clay character possessing both intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics. Students understood that narrative stories have story elements, specifically characters with intrinsic and extrinsic traits that affect the events in the story.

PDSA 1

The change idea: Incorporate 10 minutes of play at the beginning of every class (have students co-create play norms)

Implementation: As students walk into the classroom they will see a daily slide instructing them to choose a play activity. They will be able to participate in their activity of choice for 10 minutes. We will incorporate this routine for a week, making observational notes after each day. Students will reflect on the experience through partner share and group discussion.

Outcome: Although it is difficult to measure, play has brought students joy. It has worked as an incentive. Play has been used as a SEL tool, helping students develop their social emotional skills. Increases creativity.

PDSA 2

Questions from Cycle 1: What do my students enjoy? How do they like to play? How do they feel about the new additions to our class schedule?

Implementation: We will continue implementing change idea 1 as planned at the beginning of the day. Additionally, we will be actively trying to include additional play times throughout the day.

Data: Individual student reflections and a poll of which play center students prefer.

Lesson Study

Lesson Goal: Through this hands-on experience, students will understand that they can use their imagination to explore and play with media such as clay to enhance their comprehension of character traits and support story development.

Lesson Standards:

RL.2.2

Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

RL.2.3

Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

RI.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Introduced:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3

Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure

Data Collection: During the lesson we used note catchers to make observations of 2 specific focus students. Each visiting teacher will focus on one student. The note catcher will focus on 5 specific student actions I - Idea, C - connection, Q - question, M - mistake, and SD - story development.

Focus Student 1:

FS1 was very excited about working with clay. They fidgeted through out the lesson, pulling on shoelaces and clothing with anticipation. FS1 did not engage in the whole group pre-clay discussion. Once dismissed, FS1 went straight to their table and played with the clay. They do not work to create a character for the first 7 minutes. The teacher guides the student to think about their character. FS1 began to roll out a head and continued to create their figure. They did not reference their character chart during clay time. FS1 shared with their table mates about enjoying playing with clay. Toward the end of the creation time, FS1 feels pressured about finishing their work on time. They proceeded to speak negatively about their work. The timer went off and FS1 continued to work. They were very happy to hear that the teacher gave additional time to work on characters. They created a second character with the extra time and clay. When it was time for the gallery walk, the student was too focused on their work and did not get up. Finally, students returned to the rug for an end of the lesson debrief and FS1 did not engage. They stood up and walked around the classroom during turn and talk partner discussion.

Focus Student 2:

FS2 was very fidgety during the launch of the lesson. They were nail biting, sucking their thumb, adjusting their clothes often. During the group conversation FS1 did not share. Asked for the teacher to come back to him and when teacher returned he said he “had forgotten.” When the teacher asked about the goldilocks character anchor chart, student responded with “outside and inside.” Raises his hand when he has something to say - participated briefly in class conversation about inside and outside traits. Shows excitement for the activity. FS2 ran to their table when teacher instructed them to return. They grabbed several tools and initially took all of the clay. Student seemed to be really enjoying playing with the clay. They mixed colors, using tools and hands to make shapes, but does not show interest in creating his character. FS2 mixed gray and blue and explained aloud at their table that they are making the rhino’s skin 2 different colors: gray on the outside and blue on the inside. They continued to mix and ended up adding more colors than they wanted to and is unhappy with the outcome. FS2 bounces back quickly and continues to play with the clay. FS2 still seems uninterested in actually creating their character. They have not looked at the graphic organizer once. As student continues to play they start pounding on the clay and using the tools aggressively. FS2 is just handling the clay at this point, and is not actively working toward making their character. The teacher swings by to offer support and guidance. FS2 says they are working on the setting rather than the character. FS2 would like to create a zoo. FS2 continues to “play” with the dough without forming a character. The decide to roll it out. As FS2 is rolling it out they unintentionally create a shape that looks like a rhino’s head. The different colors in his clay seem to create an eye and a mouth. The student notices and lets his table know they've made his rhino’s head. As Student is speaking about their clay they notice that his rhino’s face looks “angry”. FS2 says “ this is an angry rhino protecting the baby so it doesn’t get hurt”. FS2 works until the very last second and asks for more time to complete his character. He seems very engaged.

Students participate in a gallery walk. FS2 begins to move with their table to another, but returns to their desk when he sees others surrounding his work. FS2 self isolates after a classmate laughs at their rhino. FS2 refuses to participate in the gallery walk. They tell his teacher, who encourages them to share with the other student how they feel through a “kind message”. FS2 proceeds to share with the other student

Students are called back to the rug after the gallery walk. FS2 sits, but has difficulty keeping a calm body. They seem disinterested and does not want to participate in partner share. After the teacher adds FS2 to a group and sits with them they shares with others that he would like to “add a tail to his rhino.” Student continues to not participate in class discussion or partner shares. They are excited to return to his table to continue working on his character. Student remembers the baby rhino from before and says he would like to create it so that he can be with his dad. FS2 works with the clay to create an additional character: a baby rhino.