Author Archives : Asa Jomard

Kindness & Christmas – Spread Christmas Spirit Wherever You Go

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grade: Kindergarten – Grade 5

Everyone can make a difference. Everyone can be kind. And everyone can have creative ideas about acts of kindness during the Festive Season!

There are many wonderful and creative lists where you can select acts of kindness that your students can carry out during December. If you are looking for ways to spark some thinking and give the creative muscles a workout, it may be a good idea to simply forget the lists, and instead, think dive into kindness and ways to spread it a bit deeper.

I love using questions to inspire thinking. And this method is increasingly becoming more popular.

tpt-christmas-kindness-page-1-page-0

What is kindness? Where in the body do you feel kindness? And how can you describe it?

Creating your own words is a great activity and the words can be used to write wonderful personal poems. The poems can be spread around in the neighborhood to spread some kindness. Or. . .

This package contains:

1. Question cards and Kindness vouchers

2.Things I Love about Christmas

3. Things other people and animal love about Christmas

4.Things some people may lack during Christmas

5, Things some animals may lack during Christmas

6. What is kindness? Make a list of Acts of Kindness

7.Make a list of Kindness Words and Create your own Kindness Words.

8. Where in your body do you feel kindness?

9. How can you Spread Christmas Kindness wherever you go?

10 How can you randomly spread Christmas kindness?

11. Can you write Heart-Shaped Poems?

12. Design a machine that spreads kindness.

13. What if a Christmas kindness machine breaks? How could you repair it?

14. How can you do kind things every day?

15, How can you Dream Big about the Festive Season?

16. How can you spread your Big Dreams about the Festive Season?

17. Design a Big Christmas Kindness Machine

18. Acrostic Poem

19. What if. . . make kindness snow

20. What if. . .

21. Design a flying machine that can spread Christmas Spirit.

22. How would you design a Spread Christmas Kindness and Love board game?

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Join The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative at

http://www.thebestofteacherentrepreneursmarketingcooperative.com/2014/01/the-best-of-teacher-entrepreneurs.html

and get THOUSANDS OF PAGE VIEWS for your TpT products!

 

Freebie – Winter Classroom Banner

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade FREE LESSONS Kindergarten LANGUAGE ARTS LESSONS PreKindergarten on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades PreK – 3rd Grade

Make a Winter Banner and tell classmates about interesting ideas and observations.

The printable pages of this packet will help your students contribute to a winter display banner filled with ideas and facts.

Print the pennants that spell out “winter”‘ and display on a string in your classroom. Each student can then add to the banner by adding interesting ideas and observations. They can also draw ideas for winter activities.

There is also a backline’ version that students can decorate before creating your winter classroom banner!

Link to Freebie Winter Classroom Banner

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Be a Fall Detective: Sparkling Facts & Mindboggling Questions

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Kindergarten LANGUAGE ARTS LESSONS MATH LESSONS MISC. LESSONS SCIENCE LESSONS and tagged biomimicry on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten -4th Grade

Fun and engaging activities to encourage children to look at fall with new eyes.

This package contains

1. Pets preparing for the colder weather.

2. How can you help pets prepare for fall?

3.Think Diving for a Fall Detective – predicting the weather

4. Be a weather detective – make a tally

5. Think Diving for a Fall Detective – 6.Climate Change

6. What do squirrels eat?

7. Where do squirrels store their food?

8.Think Diving for a Squirrel Detective – Make a map

9. Leaf color

10. Can you draw a fractal-like pattern?

11. Underneath the Leaves

12. How do insects prepare for winter?

13. Ask the Animal Sparkling Questions about Hibernation

14. Spreading its wings

15, Do birds sing more or less in the fall months?

16. Coats for wintery weather wear

17. Think Diving for a Fall Detective – White winter fur and feathers

18. Random inspiration and Symmetry Using a Leaf Dice (template included)

19. Leaf Math Detective

20. Love is all around

21. I love fall because. . .

22. What games can I play in the fall wind?

23. Fall-filled words

24. Animal words

25. Fall dictionary

26.What if the fall fairy could grant you one wish? Write a letter

27. Falltastic questions

28. Fall Poem

29. Shape Poems

30. Raindrops

31. Owls

32. Writing prompts

33. Imagine

34. How can I build the world’s biggest leaf pile?

35. How do you plan a fall party?

36. Imagine that you are a fall detective

37. Write a mystery.

38. How to throw the perfect spooktacular party?

39. Comic strips

40. Question cards – fill in your own questions and use as inspiration for research and writing.

Link to Be a Fall Detective: Sparkling Facts & Mindboggling Questions

 

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Be a Pumpkin Detective – Math

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade Halloween Kindergarten MATH LESSONS on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten – 2nd Grade

Be inspired by Pumpkins! 

How many seeds are in a pumpkin?

Ask your friends and family to estimate.

Estimation is a tricky concept but it is an important skill that is very useful when you go shopping.

This booklet contains a range of worksheets, some that require basic number skills, while others are a bit more complex.

Fun activities where the children are asked to make up their own math problems. Children often enjoy creating their own problems. This approach requires a deeper reflection upon numbers and basic arithmetic operations as compared to only providing an answer.

Pumpkin-inspired multiplication and division cards. Students can make their own problems.

1. Make a tally – How many seeds are in a pumpkin?

2. Add and give away pumpkins

3. Building blocks

4. Make up your own problems

5. Multiplication and division cards.

Color and black and white versions.

Link to Be a Pumpkin Detective Math

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Halloween Kindergarten LANGUAGE ARTS LESSONS MATH LESSONS MISC. LESSONS SCIENCE LESSONS and tagged biomimicry STEAM on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten -4th Grade

Be inspired by Halloween! 

thumbnail_fullsizerender-jpg-3

I have packed several different types of activities in this package. Lots of fun and engaging math problems, biomimicry, and creative writing prompts.

1. Spot bats, toadstools, and treats.

Fun activities where the children are asked to make up their own math problems. Children often enjoy creating their own problems. This approach requires a deeper reflection upon numbers and basic arithmetic operations as compared to only providing an answer.

Halloween inspired multiplication and division cards. Students can make their own problems. Color and black and white versions.

2. Invent a toy inspired by jumping spiders.

Enter the fascinating world of spooky animals and tasty vegetables – from spiders to aye-aye with a witch-like long bony middle finger. Use the observations to design toys and solve problems.

Lessons about biomimicry require a brave approach to teaching since there is a move away from an approach where teachers are asking questions and looking for quick answers. Instead, young learners are given an opportunity to shape and explore their own ideas. Biomimicry and bioinspiration are constantly evolving and new ideas are explored to solve problems and designing innovations.

 

3. 16 writing prompts

Link to Spooky – Math, STEAM – Biomimicry, Writing Prompts

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Polar Bears, Grizzly Bears, Sun bears – Biomimicry for Young Children

This entry was posted in SCIENCE LESSONS and tagged science on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten – 5th Biology, Visual Arts, Critical Thinking

Bears are extraordinary animals. Some bears climb trees others make a wide range of interesting noises.

Do you find walking around in the city boring?

Use the noisy sloth bear as your inspiration and invent singing pavements.
Spectacled bears peel back bark on trees and eat the layer under the bark.
Can you design a log peeling robo?

page biomi bears-page-0

  1. Why Teach Biomimicry
  2. Getting Started Guide
  3. How to Observe and Collect Information about the rainforest
  4. Bears Are Can Have
  5. Polar bears are fascinating because. . .
  6. What if I was a polar bear? Invent something fluffy and warm inspired by the fur.
  7. Feet like a polar bear. Use pictures as inspiration to invent something.
  8. Invent a robo using polar bear as our inspiration.
  9. What do grizzly bears eat?
  10. Make a menu inspired by grizzly bears. Invent a glow that selects food. . .
  11. Great at digging – design a gardening/farming tool or machine inspired by grizzly bears.
  12. Sleeping grizzly bears. Invent a sleeping bag.
  13. Giant Pandas are great because. . .
  14. Glove or toy inspired by giant pandas.
  15. Long Tongue – Sun Bears
  16. Spectacled bear – Log peeling robo, Cool sunglasses
  17. Sloth bear – Singing pavement
  18. How to use biomimicry in the classroom – inspiration and ideas
  19. Links to videos and information
  20. Poster

Fabulous Observations.bear withoutdocx-page-0

Link to STEM Biomimicry for Young Children – Bears

Link to free poster STEM Fabulous Observations to Inspire New Ideas – Bears

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

This entry was posted in LANGUAGE ARTS LESSONS Uncategorized and tagged #Summerwritingideas First Week School on by

 

My Summer Adventures Poster

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades: Kindergarten -3rd  Biology, Problem Solving, Visual Art

An engaging activity to place on students’ desks when they arrive back to school after the Summer Break.

Print the poster as it is at its current size, or blow it up to a larger size. Let your students fill in their Summer Adventures. When the posters are complete, let them share their memories with their classmates. Can also be used later in the week for creative writing.

TpT first day page 1-page-0

TpT first day page 2-page-0

Link to My Summer Adventures Poster: Back to School Activity

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

 

Caterpillars, Moths and Butterflies

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Kindergarten SCIENCE LESSONS on by

Be a Butterfly Detective &  Biomimicry for Young Children – Caterpillars and Butterflies

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility 

Grades: Kindergarten – 4th Grade Biology, General Science, Visual Arts

Metamorphosis – one of the greatest mysteries captures children’s attention. How can a caterpillar transform and become a butterfly?

Use cards to help enhance students’ understanding of the life cycle.  There are also some activities where observations from eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, and butterflies are used as inspiration to get new ideas.

Hopefully, these activities will make the learning fun and engaging.

Link to Be a Butterfly Detective – Life Cycle and Inspiration for Ideas

This booklet contains:

1. Cards

2. Can you identify the different stages?

3. What is the connection between a caterpillar and a butterfly?

4. What do caterpillars and butterflies eat?

5. Fun Facts

6. Metamorphosis Poem

7. Butterfly words – make your own dictionary

8. Ask the caterpillar Sparkling Questions about chrysalis and butterflies

9. Caterpillars are. . .

10. Butterflies are. . .

11. Life cycle

12. Which animal do you like the best? Positive, Negative and Interesting

13. Story writing

14. Symmetrical Butterfly

15. ”Eggcited” about butterfly eggs!

16. Think diving for a butterfly detective – eggs

17. Think diving for a butterfly detective – caterpillar

18. Think diving for a butterfly detective – chrysalis

19 Think diving for a butterfly detective – butterfly

20. Reflection – assessments

 

For more ideas to study caterpillars and butterflies look at the booklet about Biomimicry. In this booklet the aim is to use the observations of caterpillar, moths and butterflies to design and invent things.

Students can design a robot inspired by moths. Moths fly in the dark and their use their hairy antennea to help them find the way. They also have special eyes, anti-reflective, that helps them to fly in the dark.

Biomimicry an exciting approach to study animals and plants!

The package contains:

1. Why Teach Biomimicry
2. Getting Started Guide
3.How to Observe and Collect Information about Caterpillars
4. Describe a Caterpillar
5. Make a list of things that caterpillars can do.
6. Things I Love about Caterpillars
7. Caterpillar shape poem
8. Make a drawing or model of an interesting body part
9. Use “random” words to invent and design things
10. Imagination design challenge
11. Design challenge
12. Word Caterpillar
13.Design word challenge
14. Fake eyes
15. What if you could measure a crooked line?
16. Design task – saddleback caterpillar
17. Observe and collect Information about Butterflies
18. Describe a butterfly
19. Make a list of things that butterflies can do.
20. I am in awe of butterflies
21. Draw butterfly wings
22. Use “random” word as inspiration
23. Imagination design challenge
24. Design challenge
25.Word butterfly
26. Design word challenge
27. Make an ID card or ID badge
28. Months – Design a robot that can fly in the dark or a solar panel that can capture as much light as possible
29. Observation cards
30. How to use biomimicry in the classroom – inspiration and ideas
31. Links to videos and information
32. Two posters

Link to STEM – Biomimicry for Young Children – Caterpillars and Butterflies

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Pig Addition – Add ten

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade Kindergarten MATH LESSONS on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten -2nd Grade, Basic operations, Numbers

Learning to add ten is a vital math skill.

This resources will help your children not only to add 10 to numbers between 1-9 but also learn to to quickly add 10 together. Building blocks of various shapes and sizes are used to show that you get the number ten by adding for example 6+4.

There are pages where the children can draw their own pigs and create their own maths problems.

The pages are color as well as black-and-white so the children can color-in the building blocks themselves.

Link to Pig Addition – Add ten

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

FREEBIE

This entry was posted in FREE LESSONS SCIENCE LESSONS and tagged free on by

Biomimicry for Young Children – Owls

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades: Kindergarten -3rd  Biology, Problem Solving, Visual Art

“Owls have special feathers and they make almost no sound when they are flying.

When is is good to be quiet? 

Can you invent a quiet machine?”

original-1820453-1

This freebie is a great introduction to biomimicry. Fun exercises and tips to encourage young children to look at owls and to get ideas for ‘innovations and design’.

Biomimicry is an exciting way to inspire young children to be creative, curious and to observe the world. The projects are intended to inspire a playful and creative approach towards problem solving.

This topic also provides an opportunity to bring the learning outdoors – observing, listening and smelling are vital factors to build a foundation upon which ideas inspired by nature can be explored.

Owl watching may be a bit difficult but there a several good videos that you can use to study these magnificent creatures that are inspiring designers and innovators around the world.

original-1597538-1

Link to Biomimicry for Young Children – Owls

Link to Free poster Biomimicry Fabulous Observations – Owls

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Be an Endangered Animal Detective – Identify and Solve Problems

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Biology Earth Day Endangered Animals on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades 1st – 5th Biology, Earth Day, Other (Science)

A dive into the world of endangered animals is not always a pleasant journey. This package focuses on exploring possibilities and solutions. A range of animals are used as examples and there are cards that can be used as inspiration for storytelling as well as research.

 This package contains:

1. 16 Endangered Animals Cards, 2 blank cards

2. What I know and what I want to know

3. What is the difference between endangered animals and extinct animals?

4. Mind Map Endangered Animals – Orangutan plus an blank one

5. Ask the pygmy hippo questions about endangered animals

6. Main reasons people cause other species to become endangered

7. Endangered Animal Dictionary

8. Mind Map Habitat

9. A forest or a burrow?

10. The Amount of Space

11. What if it was possible to improve habitats?

12.Jane Goodall’s Work to Protect Chimpanzees

13.Blue Hyacinth Macaw – Animals as pets

14. Draw a poster

15. Slow loris – Animals as pets

16. Draw a poster

17. Which animals would you save first? Tally

18. My Action Plan to Help

19. Elephants and helmeted hornbills – ivory

20. Plan Your Endangered Animal Story

21. Write a Endangered Animal Story

22. Value of animals – biomimicry

 

Link to STEM Be an Endangered Animal Detective – Identify and Solve Problems

 

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Be a Ladybug Detective – Life Cycle, Biomimicry, Inspiration for Ideas

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten – 5th Biology, Visual art, Crtitical Thinking

Ladybugs are deliful creatures and they are found all over the world. There are 22-spotted yellow ladybugs and striped ladybugs.

There are also lots of things to be excited about when looking at the life-cycle of ladybugs. And many students love to think about the different stages.

In this booklet students are also asked to observe animals with the goal of getting inspiration for new ideas. Hopefully, these activities will make the learning fun and engaging.

When a ladybird flies it opens its wings that are under hidden under its elytra. The Elytra is the hard shell that protects the ladybird. The elytra are symmetrical. Every time a ladybird has finished flying it has to fold the wings back underneath the elytra.

This construction can be very useful when you are designing a helmet or playhat. Instead of always carrying a raincoat with you when you go for a bike ride, imagine that a raincover opens up like an umbrella under the helmet. Windshields blades could appear on the sunglasses, the ladybirds’ antenna inspired this idea.

We made a template that we used to sketch some design ideas for a ladybird helmet. Biomimicry is a great way to encourage children to draw and illustrate their ideas. Pastels were used on a black paper.

index

This package contains:

  1. Cards
  2. Can you identify the different stages?
  3. What is the connection between a larva and a ladybug?
  4. What do larvae and ladybugs eat?
  5. Fun Facts
  6. Metamorphosis Poem
  7. Ladybugs words – make your own dictionary
  8. Ask the larva Sparkling Questions about pupa and ladybugs
  9. Larvae are. . .
  10. Ladybugs are. . .
  11. Life cycle
  12. When is a ladybug a ladybug? Make a tally
  13. Can you fill in the different parts of the ladybug
  14. My Ladybug Gallery
  15. Ladybugs and aphids, and ladybugs everywhere
  16. Think diving for a ladybug detective – pest control
  17. Think diving for a ladybug detective – ladybugs wings
  18. Reflection – assessment
  19. How to use biomimicry in the classroom – VIsual art – Lady bug helmet

Link to STEM – Be a Ladybug Detective – Life Cycle, Biomimicry, Inspiration for Ideas

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Leprechauns Welcome! St. Patrick’s Day Freebie – Math

This entry was posted in FREE LESSONS St. Patrick's Day on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten- 3rd Numbers, Arithmetic

Spot hats, leprechauns and clovers.

Fun activities where the children are asked to make up their own math problems. Children often enjoy creating their own problems. This approach requires a deeper reflection upon numbers and basic arithmetic operations as compared to only providing an answer.

Link to St. Patrick’s Day Freebie – Math

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Easter – Cool Chocolate Challenge

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Easter SCIENCE LESSONS on by (updated on )

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades 1st -5th Easter, Biology, Critical Thinking

Every year foil and packaging are used to wrap eggs and bunnies. So this challenge has several important aspects as well as being fun. Help put an end  of Egg-cessive Easter Waste.

Explore information about cocoa tree, ways nature package things, and ways that nature deals with waste. And then think dive into a world filled with foils, chocolate, bananas . . . cardboard . . .

  • Where can you look for inspiration?
  • Can you test your ideas?
  • Did your chocolate bunnies melt?

Use Nature as inspiration! Happy Exploring!

This package contains:

1. Problem and plan

2. How does nature?

3. How does nature move from trash to treasure?

4. Where does chocolate come from?

5. What if – Idea 1, 2 and 3

5. Evalution sheet

6. Reflection on the learning

7. What is biomimcry

There is a colour and black and white copy of each page.

 

Link to: STEM – Easter – Cool Chocolate Challenge – Biomimicry

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Birds’ Feet and Legs – Inspired by Montessori

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on by

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten-5th Montessori, Biology, Problem solving

A  material that is often used in the Montessori classroom is animal classification cards. Children are asked to classify different animals into categories. Inspired by these cards I made some material where birds’ feet, mammals’ legs and feet, and animals’ tails are studied. These materials have cards that can be used to classify the animals and also some activities where children are encouraged to use their observations and really do something.

Build a machine, design a toy, or make up a dance.

original-2047196-1

This booklet contains

1. Introduction to biomimicry
2. Observation birds
3. Acrostic poem
4. Booby webbed feet
5. Make up a dance – invent a dancing robot or toy
6. Invent a toy or a swimming gear
7. Flamingos’ legs and feet – furniture challenge
8. Robot that can walk in mud
9. Design a playground with a carousel inspired by parrots
10. Owl observations
11. Design a flying toy that can pick up things.
12. Story writing – boy or girl who can turn his or her toes around at will.
13. What if you could run like an ostrich?
14. Random Inspiration game
15. Cards with different types of feet
16. How can you use biomimicry in the classroom
17. Links and book tips

Link to Biomimicry for Young Children – Birds’ Feet and Legs

I would be delighted if you would follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Class Alien Writing Journal

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Kindergarten LANGUAGE ARTS LESSONS on by (updated on )

 

By Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten-4th English Language Arts, Balanced Literacy, Writing

Writing activities should be exciting and what could be more exciting than writing a journal about things that you have done together with an alien.

alien

Imagine how fun it would be to write about the day when you took an alien with you to after school activities, showed the alien what we eat for dinner on Earth, read a bedtime story, and then watched the night sky and searched for the alien’s home planet.

I strongly believe that astronomy is a very important topic. Exploring the possibilities of life on other planets easily captures children’s attention but it also makes children value and consider things on Earth in a different way. Learning to consider the perspective of other people, animals and even aliens is a great thinking tool that is useful in lots of situations, from persuasive writing to feeling empathy with other living creatures. Good problems solvers are skilled at twisting and turning viewpoints around and imagining the situation from several different perspectives.

The developmental psychologist Jean Piaget often discussed the importance of shifting the perspective. Other people’s view (OPV) is also a thinking tool suggest by Edward de Bono. I like to add my own twist by including animals in the thinking tool developed by Edward. And now I have added some aliens as well!

Below is an excerpt from the booklet “Class Alien Writing Journal”

Dear Earthlings,

Thank you for accepting and welcoming our alien friend.

This alien is visiting Earth to learn more about you and your home . . .

. . . Remember the alien might feel a bit homesick so make sure that you study the sky together every day.

Alien regards

Alien nr 50 000 000 U.N.O.

 

Link to Class Alien Writing Journal

 

This package contains instructions, journal pages, alien stamps, and posters.

 

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on.

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Kindness and Valentine for Young Children

This entry was posted in Valentine's Day on by (updated on )

 

Grades: Kindergarten- 4th, Valentine’s Day, Life Skills, Critical Thinking

By Sparking Children’s Thinkbility

Fun and engaging exercises to explore love and kindness

The children start by exploring questions such as “How can you spread love wherever you go?” and “How can you dream big?” The students are asked to extract ideas, such as “Put love in an ice-cream and share it.” These ideas may help them when they design a machine that spreads love or write a heart-shaped poem.

The students are also asked to think about different aspects of the design of the machine, for example, “How you want to spread the love?” and “What kind of love do you want to spread?”

original-1648317-1

  1. Question cards + blank cards
  2. Things I Love
  3. Things other people/animals love
  4. Where in your body do you feel. . .
  5. How can you spread love?
  6. How can you randomly spread love?
  7. Heart/shaped poem
  8. How can you build a machine that spreads love?
  9. What if you could grow a loving heart?
  10. Spread everyday kindness
  11. Dream big
  12. Big dream machine
  13. Acrostic dream poem
  14. What if you could. . .
  15. Design a board game

Link to the Kindness and Valentine for Young Children

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page

Be a Snowflake Detective: Sparkling Crystal Fun & Facts

This entry was posted in 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Kindergarten MATH LESSONS SCIENCE LESSONS on by

By: Sparking Children’s Thinkibility

Grades Kindergarten-4th Science, Geometry, Winter

All a snowflake detective need is snow, a magnifier glass and patience. As with all beauty, part of the allure is mystery. And snowflakes are beautiful.

Understanding snowflakes is not as simple as it might sound. But one thing is certain, namely that inner working of the way ice crystals grow in the clouds is a process that is still a bit of a puzzle to scientists.

A snowflake begins life as a dust particle in a cloud. If it is cold, water vapor condense on the dust and crystals are formed. The crystals grow and grow and eventually they become too heavy and large and a snowflake falls out of the cloud.

snowflake pin

This package contains:

  1. How many snowflakes can you see?
  2. Life cycle cards
  3. Different types of snowflake cards
  4. Think diving – What is the connection between ice crystals and a snowflake?
  5. Fun facts
  6. Snow Words
  7. Sparkling Crystal Dictionary + Add your own words
  8. Ask the Snowman Sparkling Questions about Snowflakes and Crystals
  9. How Does a Snowflake Grow?
  10. Can you make a giant snowflake?
  11. Describe a snowflake
  12. How to grow a snowflake?
  13. Imagine strong winds
  14. Random inspiration and Symmetry Using a Snowflake Dice (template included)
  15. Imagine different colors
  16. Snowflake Math Detective
  17. Story writing – What if the seasons get mixed up?

I love mind mapping and you can download a mind map for free here.

Link to the Be a Snowflake Detective: Sparkling Crystal Fun and Facts

I would be delighted if you like to follow me on:

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility TpT Store

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Blog

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Pinterest

Follow the Sparking Children’s Thinkibility Facebook Page