ALA day museum Nov. 10, 2004

GAGGLE

Today the groups were to make use of the newfound knowledge of circuit making to add to a chain reaction. The groups were given the same tools and materials as last week, only this time alongside the blocks, tape, and balloons, they were to add a motor, battery, and switch. The groups made some amazing inventions, and pictures will be posted soon. Some used the motor to wind down a balloon, while others used the switch and motor to start a marble that would knock over blocks and release a balloon. One group had a switch designed to run a motor to knock over blocks, and still another group had a motor that set off another motor, and a roll of tape that rolled and knocked over other tower blocks! Amazing time today! Played a couple of "getting-to-know-you" games with them, still trying to get a feel for their names and personalities. Tomorrow they will continue their soldering practice and circuit making using lights and buzzers as well as motors. Next week they begin construction on permanent sculptures, as well as introduction to crickets.

MURDER

Today we discussed the six elements of the successful story with the group as they relate to the story they told and we filmed last week. THe handouts and informational analysis just didn't work well. I've conceded that battle. I was able to have a discussion with the kids about their story and for the most part, they remembered different elements of the story, more than they realized. i was hoping that they would be able to read the information and translate the elements of the story into their own, but i could have done a much better job of engaging them than i did. I'll think about how to make that better in the future. As we moved on, the students were divided into groups and given a new challenge. Instead of watching a film on character development and getting ready to write a story, we had the kids make up one and tell us a story with one restriction. There were to be no words and no sound. I made props in the room fair game, but no talking and no sounds. They were given about 40 minutes to create and then we had each group perform their story for the group. after each group performed their 2 minute story, the rest of the group was asked to talk about what they saw, and what kind of story was being portrayed. Each group had people who observed well and knew what was going on, but each group also knew things about their own story that were not able to be shown in the acting out of the story. These elements were not known to those observing the story, and so tomorrow i'm going to try and get them to think about those things as they tell me a new story. TOmorrow's exercise will be using the cameras and stop motion animation. They will again have to tell me a story without sound or words, but using clay and play-doh. i may give them story prompts tomorrow, or i may let them come up with their own ideas.

Jonathon