WeDo Lego

WeDo .... Lego Education as a Stage 1 Robotics cocurricular activity. Lego offers a variety of robots/machines for students to build and program, including Lego Mindstorm NXT for older students, and WeDo for the younger. WeDo allows students to follow instructions to build up to 12 different robots (with the basic kit). Students then use simple drag and drop software to program their robots to complete specific tasks. Here are a couple of different robots my Stage 1 students completed during WeDo Club:

The "Goal Keeper" is programmed to move in front of the goal to block it.

The "Sleeping Giant" is awakened and moved using a crane.

The "Drumming Monkey" beats a tune and bangs his arms.

Venn Diagram

This was a prepared Venn introductory activity for Year 1 children. This activity was part of our Japanese unit of work, and we compared the city and country life using pictures from the internet. Students pasted these images and their labels onto cardboard circle cutouts before displaying in the classroom.

 

I have previously blogged here using hoops to make a Venn diagram.

Deductive Thinking Skills - lower

Use the following as an example of a deductive thinking activity for preschoolers:

 

The teacher (or student) first selects an animal the other students need to guess. S/he calls out a characteristic that the selected animal has and the students must deduce which animal has been chosen. They cover the tiles using counters until there is only one animal left.

Some examples of characteristics might include:

• I live on land.
• I can swim.
• I live in the jungle.
• I lay eggs.

This game can be modified for units of work to include:

• Minibeasts
• Musical instruments
• Sports/games
• Countries

... the list goes on!

Technology: Robotics Lego Mindstorm

 

Robotics: Lego Mindstorm NXT 2.0

This is Alpha Rex. He is a humanoid robot made using Lego Mindstorm NXT hardware and programming software.

As a Robotics coordinator, I provide a weekly cocurricular activity to primary students to make and program robots.

Students follow a series of instructions to construct a variety of robots and program them using Mindstorm software. Touch, light, sound and ultrasonic sensors can be programmed to complete specific tasks.

 

 

Robotics provides students the opportunity to pursue self interests whilst challenging their problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Here is a Robotics Club evaluation sample sheet I made for students to fill out upon completion of their cocurricular lunchtime Robotics Club:

I take lots of photos and video footage of completed robots so that I can make a movie for assembly at the end of each term. Parents are invited and they enjoy seeing what their children have been involved with in Robotics Club.

Giant Chess

 

Trying to decide how best to combat the difficulties of trying to socialise some withdrawn G & T students who preferred to hide out in the library than make new friends on the playground, I ordered a giant chess garden set for the playground.

I ended up having to make a roster between grades as it became such a hit with the students and it worked wonders in encouraging them to work, think and play together outside in groups.

UPDATE!

Giant Jenga is also available!

Push Pull

  

I've been using hula hoops to help demonstrate Venn diagrams to infants children for a few years. It's really helpful for whole-class/group learning. 

Students sit in a circle with the hoops separated. We first categorise the images and make a pile of those which fit both. Then I have a students physically move the hoops and overlap them so that we can complete the Venn. 

Here is one we did recently on 'Push and Push' forces:

Here are some of the images I used for the Venn diagram (source: google images).

Thinking Skills: De Bono's Thinking Hats

 

We use De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats in our integrated units of work, and literacy lessons.

• White Hat - facts
• Yellow Hat - positives
• Red Hat - feelings and emotions
• Black Hat - negatives
• Blue Hat - thinking processes
• Green Hat - creativity

Students have to put on their 'Thinking Hats' during group discussions or during question time.

I select a different hat each week for Show and Tell, and the students have to ask questions based on that week’s hat colour.

Homework: Spelling Tic Tac Toe

Literacy Extension Homework: Tic Tac Toe

Twice a term I have the students take home a new spelling Tic Tac Toe sheet as an extension activity. This is elective for those who want to challenge or extend themselves. 

The activities are based around Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, so that all learning types are catered for. These are:

• Spatial
• Linguistic
• Logical-mathematical
• Bodily-kinesthetic
• Musical
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalistic

The worksheet is also a great activity during daily differentiated Literacy Groups.

Thinking Skills: Alphabet Key

 

Alphabet Key

The Alphabet Thinking Key involves learners having to think of certain topic words beginning with each letter of the alphabet. 

We turn this into a game much like Scattegories where the students are awarded points only if they have a unique answer ie. in an 'Animals' alphabet key, most students would immediately think of 'dog', and the student with a different to answer to his/her peers (such as 'dragonfly') would be awarded a point. The student with the most points at the end of the game wins!

The worksheet can be modified for a variety of  topics and units of work, and is an excellent fast finisher activity.

Thinking Skills: Scattegories

Everybody loves a challenging thinking game; here is a Scattegories game I made as a quick Brain Break to help strengthen students thinking skills. 

Each child is given a worksheet (above) and I flip an alphabet card to decide the letter focus. 

I use an hourglass to time the students. 

My students love this activity and it's able to be used across a range of grades.