And No One Cried

"A leprechaun took my voice," I whispered to my kindergarten STEAM students this morning. And whispering was all I could do. I had no voice and what a better way to introduce an activity than trying to make it magical for them. It just happened to coincide with my asthmatic bronchitis that sucked the life out of me, voice and all.

Because this leprechaun took my voice, the students were going to try to trap him or her, depending on what type of leprechaun it was. The students watched a video book called How to Trap a Leprechaun. They loved it because it was a little girl reading the story. They noticed all different kinds of things from the story that many used in their designs.

After that, the students went to their seats to see what was in their bag. They could only use those things to build their trap. I did have tape, glue sticks, glue sponges, crayons, and scissors out for them on their tables. This time this bag was a little different. Normally, I show my students all the the materials and they have to make a plan first, followed by a list of exactly the materials they want. They then come shopping at my store for those materials. 

You should have heard the oohs and ahhs when they saw what was in their bag. Many took the things out one at a time to look at them as though they were sacred materials. 

Contents of the bags

The observing was followed by a plan then creating a trap. It was really fun to walk around, talking to the students about their traps and listen to them talk to one another. They were so engaged and super excited. And no one cried when it was time to clean up. Even those who weren't done. All in all it was a great lesson. One I will definitely use next year.