My class once made full sized gingerbread houses. Used the pattern from my old Joy of Cooking. We read lots of gingery books, calculated area and perimeter for the pattern pieces, looked for online tips, etc. Kids brought in nearly all of the ingredients and mixed and baked in groups. Talk about learning about the importance of precision in measurement (one group produced a dough that was way too soft--we saved it by glueing to cardboard). Parents were GREAT about donating candy--and there was another opportunity to discuss patterning. There was so much happy learning going on. Then came the big discussion--how does a group of 6 divide a single house? The kids decided to raffle them off. We put them in the school display case and they sold $140 worth of tickets in just two days. Okay, lots more math. After the holidays, they voted to use the money on a trip to go bowling and eat at Pizza Huts. Had grand notions of lots of trips, but reality sunk in through the planning when they ended up with about $15 leftover. Economics anyone? This was soooo much fun, one of those times that kids remember fondly and, yet, there was more math in that week than in more typical week. A fellow teacher said to me, "They sure are having fun, but I just can't afford to take time away from learning." These damned scripted programs are saying the same thing. Sad for the kids.
Lori Jackson M.Ed.Reading Specialist Broken Bow, NE EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD Join me > Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 21:43:35 -0600 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [MOSAIC] (no subject) > > Does anyone have any good lessons/activities to use the week before winter > break? We're finishing up a unit soon and it'd be nice to have something > light and timely for the few days before break begins. > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
