Classroom Tested/Teacher & Student Approved with Deb at Crafting Connections...

I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a collaborator with Deb Hansen over at Crafting Connections for her Classroom Tested-Teacher & Student Approved Series

 

 

 

Deb was so kind to send me the subjects and predicates train craftivity to try out in my classroom. 

 

 As soon as I put the packet up on the screen, the kids were excited.  We had already been exposed to subjects and predicates the week before, so I used this craftivity as  a form of assessment.  I was surprised by how it seemed to firm up the concrete, if you know what I mean.  The kinesthetic aspect of putting the complete subject on the engine car and the complete predicate on the caboose car really was an "a-ha!" moment for some of my students.  I was surprised by that honestly. 

 

I passed out the packet I had put together for my students, this is suggested in the teacher directions section of the craftivity and was a time saver.  In this packet were directions for students to follow, a worksheet for the students to complete and then the craftivity itself. 

 

I went over the directions very carefully.  My students don't always like to wait for directions, they just want to jump right in.  I had to hold them back.  I showed them the sample picture which Deb had posted on the front of the directions, HOWEVER...I suggest making the craftivity yourself first.  I think that would have made my students take more notice of what the craftivity was intended to look like.  I don't think the presentation really matters if you are using it the way I did, but if you are a stickler about presentation, I would certainly make your  own sample first.  I only had one student go against the grain for presentation and she worked hard and diligently, so I didn't want to make her redo it. 

 

Each child first completed the worksheet where they underlined complete subject once and complete predicate twice.  I circulated the room heavily during this time checking for understanding of the subject/predicate concept.  I had only a few that were still having difficulty at this point and was able to redirect and reteach on the spot.  

 

 

We then made the first train car set together with number one on the worksheet.  Each student will have the same first train car set then after that, students choose four more from the worksheet to display on the train car sets.  I like this idea of student choice.  Some of mine went right down the page and others really scrutinized which sentences to display. 

 

 

 

Students will need a black pen or maker, crayons or colored pencils, glue, scissors, and a large sheet of construction paper to showcase their work.  Make sure you are clear about how these should be cut out...do they need to be trimmed precisely or can they just cut around and cut both out at the same time.  I told my students in the interest of time, to cut around and cut out both cars together.  As long as the engine car and caboose car were different colors and contained the correct content, that is what I needed to see.  You might want to be specific about which colors to use.  I intended for my students to use the same two colors for each train car set, but my kiddos just colored them two different colors.  Some followed the picture and some just used two random colors.  Each child did a little something different with the colors. 

 

 

 

I should have set aside larger blocks of time for my students to complete this, because they are a very social group and like to talk while they work.  This craftivity took me three 30 minute class sessions to complete BUT that is because of my group dynamics.  Once I told them it must be done that last day, I had everyone working their little fourth grade fingers to the bone and other children who were finished were helping others. 

 

My students loved doing this craftivity, and this is one I will do again...Definitely! My students seemed to work harder on getting the work right because I told them that nothing that is messy, disorganized and WRONG will be hung in the hallway...PERIOD! 

 

 

 

Here are some of my students comments... Kyle L said "this is an assessment, I have never had an assessment like this before!"  Alea W said "Mrs. Sadler, I like when we get to make stuff to show what we learn.  I like hanging my work in the hallway!"  My principal said, "I like this!" when she came down to just pop in my room for a moment.  Craftivities get noticed much more easily when displayed as opposed to a worksheet.  Craftivities may take a little more time, but because they address multiple intelligences (especially visual and kinesthetic learners), they are worth the little extra time. 

 

SSSSSSoooooooo...Deb is holding a giveaway for this very craftivity at her site right now!  Click here to check it.  I am also offering my new Character Setting and Conflict Interactivity as a bonus gift in the giveaway!!!

 

Thank  you Deb for sending this craftivity my way and I look forward to another collaboration in the near future.