|
Dear 4th Grade Friends, I was simply amazed by your projects last week. This weeks assignment is a slightly more electrifying variation on that theme. Please check out the intro video below. To summarize, make either a new putt-putt run or redo your old one, but add a light-up element that is activated by the golf ball. Sorry for Bucky's interference with the video. He's cute, but does not always behave. Here's a labeled close-up of the circuit.  For your viewing pleasure, my rather silly interpretation of the challenge. Okay, now it's your turn! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Please send me a video of your completed putt-putt or if your adult(s) want to you can post to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #sfbrandeismakes.
Take Care, Mrs. Bisson
0 Comments
 Hello 4th Grade Friends. Unfortunately, your Parshat Putt-Putt projects were too complex to send home. However, we can do some work to further your thinking about the project and work through some ideas. I sent you home with some supplies. For this first lesson, you'll only need the golf ball. Please put the other supplies in safe place and then watch the video below. As you get started on your test course, here's some inspiration I found on the internet. I am looking for the most creative, zany mini-golf hole you can make. I am sharing a quick sample below, but it is not my best work. I want you to totally outdo me. Here's mine (and Bucky's) below. Please share what you come up with. You can either email me at [email protected] or have a parent post to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #sfbrandeis makes.
I wanted to review some ways we could make movable creations so I decided to do cranky contraptions with 4th grade too. The struggles were pretty much the same as those faced 2nd grade. 4th graders were able to move along a little bit faster and work a bit more independently.
take 4th graders have been making pizza box marble runs that show their creative process. The creative constraints were that the run must be contained inside the box. The marble must exit from a hole on the top of the box and exit from the bottom, the marble must go through at least 5 elements, and the box need to show their creative process. The boxes are starting to shape and I am loving the thoughtfulness on display. I can't wait to announce the next phase of the project where students will work in groups to connect their boxes to the rest of their groups' and the marble will pass through each box. We will then talk about how we need to shift or refine our personal creative process when we work with others. This is an total experiment. Fingers crossed!
I am a bit obsessed with Jacob's ladders. They are a marvel of simple materials and construction joining together to create something extraordinary. The name is also rooted in Torah, so it's fun to bring a little allegory into our making. For my 4th graders I wanted to try having them figure out how to construct a Jacob's ladder without direct instruction from me. I assembled several cardboard Jacob's ladder and set them around our work table with exploration worksheets, rulers, and pencils. I explained that they needed to figure out the materials, quantities of materials, and assembly of the ladder. Once they assembled the materials list and directions. I would give them the materials they requested and they could assemble their ladders. I have never seen them so engaged! They spent the class measuring, counting, questioning, and examining. They revised their materials lists and labored over their step-by-step instructions. This was a new approach for me, and one I will definitely do more of. It was also a wonderful integration of writing and making. Below are the worksheet templates. I might tweak them a bit, but they get the job done. 
We are kicking off our review of building materials with a little kirigami. It's a great review because we get to practice measuring, cutting and folding. We started with a basic design to get a feel for how folding and cutting come together to create 3-D shapes.  Here's a template if you want to give it a try.
Next we pushed ourselves a bit to create this fantastic Star of David (8 stars in one!).  I've made some templates and step-by-step instructions if you want to give this one a try.
I think these two projects have given us a good foundation. Next week, we'll apply what we learned to creating some original kirigami creations.
We are taking some time to review building materials and techniques. We are starting off with paper craft and dipping our toes into a little kirigami. We started of with a pretty simple version that we constructed from a printed template. This allowed us to getting a feeling for the form and how folding and cutting can be combined to create new and surprising shapes. This week my 4th graders got to work making their journals. We are making the covers from recycled boxes, there's a lot of those around a school this time of year, and good ol' 8.5x11 paper chopped in half to 4.25x5.5. We are using a 2-hole punch on the short side and binding with brass fasteners. It's a serviceable journal, we can add pages, and making them ourselves is a big budget saver.  |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2020
Categories |
||||||||
RSS Feed