English

Thinking Outside the Box

Students can collaborate to create a sculptural expression of the symbolism of a work of literature. How might the form and ideas of the work be compressed into these compartments? What story could a collection of such boxes tell? The opportunities and also the limitations of such a work might make for interesting debates.

Loominous Literature

Laser-cut loom kits can let students use color and texture to express aspects of texts, and the act of weaving itself can be very symbolic, as in The Odyssey. This excellent video gives clear directions from start to finish.

Quotable Bookmarks

Students can take a favorite quote from an author and laser cut or 3D print a bookmark with it.

Animate a story

This project has Karana, the character from Island of the Blue Dolphins. How might students animate a scene or theme from a book with some art, coding, and making?

In this project, 7th graders animated stories that second graders had read with our librarian at my old school. They then shared their coding and making work with an authentic (and very appreciative!) audience.

Pinball!

The swappable play surfaces of this pinball machine let students of all grades find meaningful challenges in construction and in expressing ideas from your class. The example here explores theme, setting, and character, but how about ideas like parts of speech, an author's biography, or the hero's journey? Up the challenge if you wish by having teams add LED light circuits, scoreboards, and even moving servo motors. Time for fun!

Light It

The sides of a light box like this one might depict the evolution of a character, major symbols from a book, or other key ideas. Students enhance the meaning by the way they program the LED light strip to behave when the box is shaken or buttons are pressed.

Game Time

Students can make a board game that demonstrates their understanding of a novel, author, or time movement in literature. Infuse it with a little coding to create dice or use the code in other, more symbolic ways.

Draw It

This light box project allows fine detail of expression of key ideas from books merged with the way the images are lit from below. Let students tell a story or explore a concept through light and drawing.

Game It

This retro gaming device is easily coded with a novel's symbols or a character's journey. Pairs can crystallize key concepts from an era or work of fiction, then have an unforgettable gaming day where people present their games and then play everyone else's. Let's get our Gator game faces on!

Print It

Here's yet another way for students to express literary ideas through art. Here, a drawing on an iPad becomes a swappable cover for a light box. A little coding helps the image tell a story.

Cut It

Another version of the light box, this time with a laser or paper cutter providing a silhouette of a character or idea. The lighting choices help tell the story and evoke the key ideas.