Rose Zarske 4th Grade

Meet the Maker: Rose Zarske

My name is Rose Zarske and I am a 4th grade teacher at Ronald Reagan Elementary. Maker culture is important because it instills creativity, collaboration, communication, ideation, and critical thinking.

Provocation: After researching an endangered animal in reader's and writer's workshop (unit 4), the students will create a plan to inform an audience on the state of the endangered animal, and what measures can to promote conservation of this animal.

Maker Plan: 4th Grade (Reader's and Writer's Workshop: Unit 4)

MAKER PLAN Please view my plan to see how I purposefully tied in skill builders to boost creativity which allowed kids to be successful when building their prototypes. Know that this plan is always evolving as I reflect and learn through this process.

What we are making, Why we are Making, Who we are Making for:

We are creating a google website and PSA via TouchCast.

We are creating a plan to inform an audience on the state of the endangered animal, and what measures can to promote conservation of this animal.

Our audience will include our families, classmates, second grade buddies, and school staff members.

Maker Skill Builders & Highlights

Marble Challenge

This challenge focused on Team Building and Collaboration, as well as prototyping.

Spaghetti Tower

Students must build the tallest tower possible with given supplies.


Leprechaun Traps

Students practiced the Launch cycle through trap building and recording their results in writer's workshop.


Sphero

Students learn coding to program a sphero to navigate a track, draw shapes, and follow an obstacle course.


Student Product Samples:

Additional Teacher Resources & Reproducibles:

Must know tips for Teachers:

1. Utilize digital learning team.

2. Have students plan for creating and have a list of necessary supplies ahead of time.

3. Make sure students stop to evaluate their work along the way and re-access the result.

4. Remind students that this is a process and mistakes are a good thing because we can learn from them.

5. Be flexible, allow the project to change course.

6. Don't be afraid to try something new and learn right along with your students.