Mini-Lessons 4,5,6: Creative Drawing, Halloween and Crafting a Story


CREATIVE DRAWING
Lesson by Julia Kaplan

                       LESSON PLAN


Age Group: 7th/8th Grade

Subject: Language arts

Objective: Students will demonstrate appropriate listening, viewing, and communication skills to complete a creative and collaborative drawing.

Materials: paper, crayons/colored pencils, computer or large screen to show the image.

Activity: Students will get into pairs. One partner will face the projector screen, while the other will face away from the screen. Each pair will receive one piece of paper and some crayons. A meaningful image will then be displayed on the screen. The partner facing the screen must describe the image to their partner. The partner facing away from the screen must draw the image based on the other person’s description of it. The partner who is drawing can ask questions to clarify but cannot look at the screen. Each pair will have 10 minutes to complete their drawing. After everyone is finished, each group will share their drawing. 



Assessment: Students will write a paragraph to summarize their drawing and the process of creating it. Students must discuss how they went about creating the drawing, any difficulties faced, and any ways they could improve if they were to do it again. Students should also discuss the importance of communication and active listening in the summary. Students will be graded on content, as well as correct spelling and grammar. 


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CRAFTING A STORY: GROUP DYNAMICS, FOCUS AND COLLABORATION

Lesson by Sim Vreeland


       LESSON PLAN



Age Group:

This activity can be done for several age groups. The age group depends on how advanced the story will come out. However, my lesson is directed towards 5th graders. This is an age where learning to work with others is an essential skill to master before entering into middle school. Also, dessert is a reward at this age they will be extremely inclined to win. It is important the reward is exciting enough to keep the children’s’ attention and will make them focused on it.


 Objective: 


The objective is for kids to work together in groups and focus on collaboration. Not only does this touch on their skills to collaborate, but it also brings out their nature to compete in a healthy setting by the teacher giving them motivation to succeed. Also, by presenting a reward, students will stay focused on the task in order to do well.

Materials:

Paper and pen or pencil for a member in the group to write down the story

 
Activity:

1.    Students will break up into groups of fours (if odd number one or more group will be five)
2.    They will form a circle within their groups 

3.    One person will start by saying one word and they will go around the circle with each person saying one word 

4.    They are working together and each person is going off the word the person said before them to create a story with a beginning middle and end

5.    One confident person in the group will be participating in the group while writing down each word to record the story

6.    The group that uses the most words to create a cohesive story will win a tasty dessert (in an actual class setting, the teacher will be aware of students with food allergies)


Assessment: 

After time is up, students will read out loud the story their group created to the class. Students will also reflect on their experience working with others and what they found difficult or easy about the activity. The team that had the most words and created a cohesive story wins the reward.


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